title: Comparison of liver regeneration after a splenectomy and splenic artery ligation in a dimethylnitrosamine-induced cirrhotic rat model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A splenectomy and splenic artery ligation accelerate liver regeneration and improve liver function after a hepatectomy. However, there are no studies that directly compared the effects of a splenectomy and splenic artery ligation. In the present study, we compared the effects of a splenectomy and splenic artery ligation in cirrhotic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) was administered intraperitoneally for 4 weeks to induce cirrhosis. The rats were divided into three groups: sham operation (CT group), splenic artery ligation (SAL group) and splenectomy (SP group). Liver functions [alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and total bilirubin (T. Bil)], plasma TGF-beta1, histopathological changes, extent of liver fibrosis (fibrotic rate) and regeneration [Ki-67 labelling index(LI)] were investigated in each group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ALT and T. Bil levels were significantly lower in the SP group than the CT and SAL groups. TGF-beta1 levels were significantly lower in the SP group than in the CT and SAL groups. The fibrotic rate was significantly lower in the SP group than in the CT and SAL groups. The Ki-67 labelling index was significantly higher in the SP group than in the CT and SAL groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A splenectomy significantly improved liver regeneration with reduction of plasma TGF-beta1 levels compared with splenic artery ligation in DMN-treated cirrhotic rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume-city, Fukuoka, Japan. morinaga-akio@kurume-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morinaga
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: Masayosi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kage
authors.forename: Hisafumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Sigeaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoyagi
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008026:Ligation; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013156:Splenectomy; D013157:Splenic Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine; D001663:Bilirubin