The persistence of hepatotoxicity induced by N-acetyl-
para-aminophenol (
Acetaminophen or
Paracetamol, abbreviated as
APAP) as the most common cause of
acute liver failure in the United States, despite the availability of
N-acetylcysteine, illustrates the clinical relevance of additional therapeutic approaches. While human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown protection in mouse models of liver injury, the MSCs used are generally not cleared for human use and it is unclear whether these effects are due to
xenotransplantation. Here we evaluated GMP manufactured clinical grade human Wharton's Jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs), which are currently being investigated in human clinical trials, in a mouse model of
APAP hepatotoxicity in comparison to human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) to address these issues. C57BL6J mice were treated with a moderate
APAP overdose (300 mg/kg) and WJMSCs were administered 90 min later. Liver injury was evaluated at 6 and 24 h after
APAP. WJMSCs treatment reduced
APAP-induced liver injury at both time points unlike HDFs, which showed no protection.
APAP-induced JNK activation as well as AIF and Smac release from mitochondria were prevented by WJMSCs treatment without influencing
APAP bioactivation. Mechanistically, WJMSCs treatment upregulated expression of Gclc and Gclm to enhance recovery of liver GSH levels to attenuate
mitochondrial dysfunction and accelerated recovery of pericentral hepatocytes to re-establish liver zonation and promote liver homeostasis. Notably, preventing GSH resynthesis with
buthionine sulfoximine prevented the protective effects of WJMSCs. These data indicate that these GMP-manufactured WJMCs could be a clinically relevant therapeutic approach in the management of
APAP hepatotoxicity in humans.