Zn(II) Complex with Blue Luminescence and Its Promotion Activity on the Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Biliary Epithelial Cells

A new dual ligand-based Zn(II) compound, [Zn(Hbtc)(bmiph)]n·n(H2O) (1, where H3btc is 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid and bmiph is 1,4-bis(2-methyl-1H-imidazolyl)benzene), was prepared hydrothermally and characterized structurally through single-crystal X-ray diffraction. At environmental temperature, with 330 nm excitation, complex 1 showed intense blue luminescence with the CIE coordinate at (0.193, 0.1278). The promotion activity of 1 on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into biliary epithelial cells was explored, and the corresponding mechanism was studied simultaneously. The vascular endothelial growth factor content in the serum was examined using ELISA. The relative expression of cirRNA29 in mesenchymal stem cells was measured using real-time RT-PCR.