The effect of mesenchymal stem cell and s-acetyl-glutathione administration on liver injury in rats with common bile duct ligation

Ulfanov, O. The Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cell and S-Acetyl-Glutathione Administration on Liver Injury in Rats with Common Bile Duct Ligation. Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Medical Specialization Thesis, Eskişehir, 2026. Bile stasis in intrahepatic or extrahepatic ducts leads to hepatic fibrosis. If untreated, it may progress to chronic liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma, or cirrhosis. Therefore, developing effective therapies to halt or reverse fibrosis is essential. Antioxidants and stem cell applications have shown promising results. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and S-Acetyl Glutathione (SAG), a potent antioxidant, have proven effective in experimental studies. This study investigated the combination of Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs (WJ-MSCs) with SAG. Fifty male Wistar Albino rats were divided into five groups: Group I (sham), Group II (CBDL), Group III (CBDL+SAG), Group IV (CBDL+WJ MSC), and Group V (CBDL+SAG+WJ-MSC). In the sham group, only laparotomy was performed. In the CBDL group, the common bile duct was ligated. Group III received 35 mg/kg SAG by gastric gavage for 28 days after ligation. Group IV received intravenous WJ-MSCs two weeks after ligation. Group V received SAG immediately after ligation and MSCs on day 14. All rats were sacrificed at week 4, and blood and liver samples were collected. Serum levels of albumin, total protein, AST, ALT, ALP, DB, TB, and INR were measured. Liver tissues underwent histopathological evaluation, and ELISA was used for TGF-Beta, reduced GSH, HGF, and MDA. Results demonstrated that SAG enhanced the therapeutic effects of MSCs, with significant improvements in biochemical markers and histopathological findings. In conclusion, SAG may potentiate MSC therapy in liver fibrosis. However, further advanced preclinical and clinical studies are required for clinical translation. Key Words: Liver fibrosis, Mesenchymal stem cell, SAG