The effects of transplantation of hepatocytes cultured with insulin on acute liver failure induced by 90% hepatectomy in the rat.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of transplantation of hepatocytes either not cultured or cultured with or without insulin on survival in rats with acute liver failure induced by 90% hepatectomy.


METHODS
Randomized laboratory experiment.


METHODS
University department, Sweden.


METHODS
60 Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, not including donors.


METHODS
90% hepatectomy without hepatocyte transplantation, or with intrasplenic transplantation of: uncultured hepatocytes immediately after resection, or uncultured hepatocytes one or three days before resection, or hepatocytes cultured with or without insulin immediately after resection (n = 10 in each group).


METHODS
Cell viability, attachment ability, survival, liver function, and body weight.


RESULTS
Transplantation of hepatocytes cultured for 3 days without insulin or of uncultured hepatocytes one day prior to hepatectomy did not significantly improve 30-day survival compared with uncultured hepatocyte transplantation immediately after hepatectomy. Hepatocytes cultured with insulin for 3 days and transplanted immediately after hepatectomy significantly improved survival compared with animals in which hepatocytes were transplanted either uncultured or cultured for 3 days without insulin immediately after hepatectomy. Hepatocyte transplantation 3 days before hepatectomy further increased survival compared with the other groups in which transplantation was done immediately after hepatectomy. Acute failure, acute compensatory, and late 'enhanced' phases were defined within 30 days of hepatectomy.


CONCLUSIONS
Transplantation of hepatocytes that are cultured with hepatocellular trophic factors (for example insulin) before transplantation may have the potential to increase the effectiveness of transplanted hepatocytes in the treatment of acute liver failure.
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006498:Hepatectomy; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016019:Survival Analysis
D007328:Insulin