Electromagnetic thermoablation to treat thrombocytopenia in cirrhotic and hypersplenic rats.
OBJECTIVE
Thrombocytopenia due to hypersplenism is usually a serious condition in cirrhotic patients who have undergone invasive procedures. We designed a new treatment method using a high-frequency alternating electromagnetic force to treat the disease condition in a rat model.


METHODS
Sprague-Dawley rats were given thioacetamide in drinking water and injected with methylcellulose intraperitoneally to create a cirrhotic hypersplenism model. Spleen volume was determined using the Carlson method. The Control Group consisted of 14 rats, 15 weeks old, that were used to determine the normal platelet count and normal spleen size. Experimental Group I, consisting of 15 rats, received electromagnetic thermoablation of their spleens, after which the spleen was returned to the abdomen. Group II consisted of 13 rats, receiving the same electromagnetic thermoablation as Group I, but the ablated portion was removed. Group III consisted of 14 rats receiving total splenectomies.


RESULTS
Cirrhotic hypersplenism was confirmed during laparotomy and pathological examination. Spleen volume enlarged from 1513 +/- 375 mm(3) (Control Group) to 7943 +/- 2822 mm(3) (experimental groups). Platelet counts increased from 0.35 +/- 0.21 x 10(6)/mm(3) to 0.87 +/- 0.24 x 10(6)/mm(3) for Group I, from 0.52 +/- 0.23 x 10(6)/mm(3) to 1.10 +/- 0.20 x 10(6)/mm(3) for Group II, and from 0.47 +/- 0.23 x 10(6)/mm(3) to 1.18 +/- 0.26 x 10(6)/mm(3) for Group III. No rats died due to the treatment in any of the experimental groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our animal model performed successfully and our proposed electromagnetic thermotherapy effectively treated thrombocytopenia due to cirrhotic hypersplenism.
Zuchini
Roberto
R
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Huang
Chih-Hao
CH
Tsai
Hung-Wen
HW
Huang
Sheng-Chieh
SC
Lin
Chuan-Pin
CP
Chen
Chiung-Yu
CY
Lee
Gwo-Bin
GB
Lin
Xi-Zhang
XZ
D000818:Animals; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena; D006971:Hypersplenism / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008747:Methylcellulose; D010976:Platelet Count; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013156:Splenectomy; D013853:Thioacetamide; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors
D013853:Thioacetamide; D008747:Methylcellulose