title: The impact of hepatic denervation on the accumulation of hepatic progenitor cells during liver regeneration in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  All autonomic hepatic nerves are transected following liver transplantation. Recent studies have shown the relationship between an inhibition of autonomic nerves and the accumulation of hepatic progenitor cells (HPC). This study aims to elucidate the influence of hepatic denervation on the accumulation of HPC in the process of liver regeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent hepatic denervation. Immediately after either denervation (DN group, n=30) or a sham operation (control group, n=30), a two-thirds hepatectomy was performed, and these were sacrificed chronologically. An immunohistochemical analysis of HPC was performed with a mouse monoclonal OV6 type antibody.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The liver per body weight ratio gradually increased in both groups. On postoperative day (POD) 7, the DN group showed a significantly higher ratio. The HPC expression gradually increased in both groups. The maximal HPC number was observed on POD 7 in the DN group and on POD 3 in the control group. Although there was no significant difference in the HPC numbers between the DN and control group until POD 3, the number of HPC were significantly higher in livers of the denervated rats than in those of the sham operated rats between POD 5 and 14.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hepatic autonomic nerves were thus suggested to play an important role in the accumulation of HPC during liver regeneration in rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soyama
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: Mitsuhisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takatsuki
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamohara
authors.forename: Yujo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawashita
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hidaka
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tokai
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagayoshi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanematsu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017763:Autonomic Denervation; D001835:Body Weight; D002452:Cell Count; D006498:Hepatectomy; D008099:Liver / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012038:Regeneration; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*