Blood transfusion causes deterioration in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats.
BACKGROUND
This study investigated the effects of blood transfusion on liver regeneration and function after hepatectomy in rats.


METHODS
Inbred male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a sham operation or a 70% hepatectomy (PHx) and were randomly divided into seven groups according to transfusion type: groups I and II underwent a sham operation and received saline (I) or whole blood (II). Groups III to VII underwent PHx with saline (III), whole blood (IV), irradiated/leukocyte-depleted whole blood (V), plasma (VI), or autologous blood (VII). The liver regeneration rate, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling index, serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) activity, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and activated transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta(1)) were measured 6 and 24 h and 5 days after PHx.


RESULTS
The liver regeneration rate and PCNA labeling index were lower in groups IV and V than in the other groups. Serum liver enzymes 6 h after PHx were worst in groups IV and V. PNP activity increased most in group IV, 6 and 24 h after PHx. The HGF values 6 h after PHx in all the transfused groups were lower than in group III. The activated TGF-beta(1) level 6 h after surgery was highest in group IV.


CONCLUSIONS
Whole blood or irradiated/leukocyte-depleted whole blood impaired liver regeneration after PHx, probably through the production of activated TGF-beta(1) and HGF outside the liver, and plasma or autologous blood reduced the deleterious effects.
Okano
T
T
Second Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Gunma University, 3-39-15 Showa-Machi, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
Ohwada
S
S
Nakasone
Y
Y
Sato
Y
Y
Ogawa
T
T
Tago
K
K
Morishita
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D001835:Body Weight; D006400:Hematocrit; D006498:Hepatectomy; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008297:Male; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D011683:Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood
D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D011683:Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase