Successful transplantation of a 20% partial liver graft in rats: a technical innovation.
BACKGROUND
Graft-size disparity negatively impacts the postoperative outcome in the setting of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation.


METHODS
As a model for partial liver transplantation in rats using a minimized graft volume, we orthotopically transplanted a 20% reduced-size liver with the two-cuff method. Blood chemistry, graft weight restoration, and labeling indices of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine were estimated.


RESULTS
We achieved 100% 2-week survival. Hepatic mass was restored rapidly with early normalization of biochemical parameters, although albumin synthesis capacity required more time to recover.


CONCLUSIONS
This technique has great potential for research as well as a therapeutic approach to regeneration and functional recovery of small liver grafts under various posttransplant circumstances.
Tanaka
Hideaki
H
Department of Innovative Surgery, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 154-8567, Japan. htanaka-tky@umin.ac.jp
Hashizume
Kohei
K
Enosawa
Shin
S
Suzuki
Seiichi
S
D000818:Animals; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000502:physiology; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D019737:Transplants