Abstract: Objective To ascertain whether mouse c-Kit+Lin-bone marrow cells have the potential of hepatic stem cells.Methods c-Kit+lin-bone marrow cells were isolated and purified by magnetic-activated cell sorting(MACS)from BALB/C male donor mice,and immediately transplanted into age-matched BALB/C syngeneic female mice with 35-Gy total liver irradiation.The recipients were sacrificed 1 month after the transplantation for pathological observation of the liver morphology.The presence of Y-chromosome was examined in the liver cells of the recipient by in situ hybridization(ISH),and alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)and albumin in the cells were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results The hepatocytes positive for Sry gene on Y-chromosome were identified 1 month after transplantation,and immunohistochemistry for AFP and albumin confirmed that the donor mice-derived cells were hepatocytes.Conclusion c-Kit+lin-bone marrow cells have the potential of hepatic stem cells,which can reside and differentiate into hepatocytes in the liver after transplantaion.c-Kit+lin-bone marrow cells can be used as the source cells of cell transplantation for liver disease.