title: Successful auto-implantation of hepatic cells in lung tissue: An animal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was proposed to evaluate a new method for autograft transplantation of liver tissue fragments (LTF) in the lung parenchyma and bronchus of dogs and to compare the results to find out if they are suitable sites for hepatocyte implantation or not.
  
  
  METHODS
  THE DOGS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO TWO CATEGORIES: LTF auto-transplantation to the lung parenchyma and into the bronchus. The suspensions of normal saline and LTF were injected and implanted into the lung parenchyma and the main bronchus of the right accessory lobe in first and second groups, respectively. Two weeks later the right accessory lobe was removed and sent for a histopathological study. All samples were checked under a light microscope with regard to the presence of hepatocytes, with both the Hematoxylin and Eosin (H and E) preparation and immunohistochemistry (IHC) method, using a CK-18 marker. All results were double-checked with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean weight of all the dogs was 19.87 ± 0.93 kg and mean age was 3.58 ± 0.31 years. After 15 days, the H and E, IHC, and PCR studies revealed that in the first group, all the dogs (n = 4) had living liver tissue, which survived in the lung parenchyma successfully. In contrast, none of the dogs (n = 0) in the second group showed surviving hepatocytes in the bronchus (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implantation of the LTFs into the lung parenchyma could be a source of hepatic cell production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mohajeri
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hessam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ghassemof
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathologist, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mohajeri
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Surgeon, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahriar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adibi
authors.affiliation: Medical Education Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir Hosein Davarpanah
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Jazi
keywords: Auto-transplantation; IHC; PCR