Liver regeneration following portal blood arterialization and splenectomy in acute hepatic failure.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the experiment was to estimate an influence of portal blood arterialization in animals with tetrachloromethane-induced acute hepatic failure.


METHODS
Thirty-five pigs were divided into four groups: three groups of 10 and a control group of 5 animals. On day 1 of the experiment an intraperitoneal dose of 477 mg CCl4//kg body wt. in a suspension of corn oil was given to the trial groups to induce an acute hepatic failure. On day 3 after the intoxication all animals were operated on. Aortovenous splenic anastomosis without splenectomy, aorto-venous splenic anastomosis with splenectomy, and splenectomy procedure alone, were performed in groups I, II, and III, respectively. In the control group only laparotomy was performed. Histopathologic estimation of hematoxylin- and eosin-stained specimens and immunohistochemical analysis of regenerating hepatocytes by applying monoclonal serum for CK19, CD56, CD117 were carried out.


RESULTS
Liver biopsies demonstrated no quantitative differences concerning the surface of damaged lobules between groups I, II, and III. The phenomenon of parenchyma regeneration was observed in both groups (with and without splenectomy procedure performed). Small stem cells could be observed mainly in the central part of lobules. The immunohistochemical analysis showed that part of the regenerating cells had CD56 and CD117 antigens' receptors, demonstrating no expression of antigen CK19. In the third group of animals (splenectomy without blood arterialization) neither the phenomenon of parenchyma regeneration nor the presence of cells of hepatoblast phenotype were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The arterialization of portal blood in pigs with acute hepatic failure triggered off the regeneration of damaged parenchyma through the colonization of impaired areas of lobules by small stem cells. The lack of the receptor for antigen CK19 could mean that the cells do not originate in bile duct epithelium.
Piecuch
Jerzy
J
Chair and Department of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Medical University of Silesia Katowice, Poland. jerzy.piecuch@wp.pl
Orkisz
Witold
W
Gabriel
Andrzej
A
Sosada
Krystyn
K
Zurawiński
Wojciech
W
Rudzki
Marek
M
Mikusek
Wojciech
W
Polańska
Joanna
J
D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000601:surgery*; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D013156:Splenectomy; D013162:Splenic Vein / Q000601:surgery*; D013552:Swine