Direct hepatic differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells induced by valproic acid and cytokines

Figure 2 Morphological observation of the differentiated cells. A: Morphology of hepatic progenitor cells induced by VPA; B: Electron microscopic observation of the undifferentiated ES cells (control); C: Electron microscopic observation of the hepatic progenitor cells differentiated from ES cells; D, E: Morphological observation of typical hepatocytes differentiated from hepatic progenitor cells with flattened and cuboidal morphology, and acquired abundant granules in the cytoplasm; F: Morphological observation of another kind of hepatocyte-like cells differentiated from hepatic progenitor cells with rising and piled morphology, dark cytoplasm and light nuclei, and bile canaliculi-like structures found between these cells; G: Electron microscopic observation of the differentiated hepatocytes with abundant mitochondria in their cytoplasm; H: Electron microscopic observation of the bile canaliculi between adjacent cells as mentioned above (Figure 1F); I: The bile canaliculi between adjacent cells sealed with tight junctions.