Hepatic caudate lobe compensation function in rats

Abstract

Objective To assess the safety and effectiveness of caudate lobe-sparing subtotal hepatoectomy after rapid hypertrophy of the caudate lobe following selective portal vein branches ligation except caudate lobe's in rats.Methods Forty SD rats were randomly divided into portal vein branches ligation group and sham group.Portal vein branches except caudate lobe's were ligated by laparotomy.Alanine transaminase (ALT),aspartate aminotransferase (AST),albumin,total bilirubin and direct bilirubin were assessed at 3rd,7th,14th and 21st day after portal vein ligation in 5 rats each day,followed by rats sacrifice.The morphological changes of both ligated and non-ligated liver lobes were observed by microscope.The expression of proliferation cell nuclear antigen (Ki-67) was detected by immunohistochemistry.Twenty-one days after the first operation,caudate lobe-sparing subtotal hepatoectomy was undertaken on other 20 rats of each group.Survival rate was assessed in both groups after the second operation.Results ALT levels were higher in experimental group than in control group on the 3rd,7th and 14th day [(57.28 ± 8.95) vs.(165.07±19.15)U/L,(67.03 ±13.46) vs.(131.24±9.51) U/L,and (67.03 ±13.46) vs.(100.16 ± 5.20) U/L,P ＜ 0.01].AST levels were also elevated on the 3rd,7th and 14th day [(148.89±37.64) vs.(853.61 ±276.33) U/L,(146.34 ±39.06) U/Lvs.(730.19 ±169.81) U/L,P ＜0.01 ; (143.13 ±23.30) vs.(129.82 ± 18.80) U/L,P ＜0.05].Albumin levels were only elevated at day 7 [(39.65 ± 2.49) vs.(25.91 ± 2.21) g/L,P ＜ 0.01].Total bilirubin and direct bilirubin showed no significant diffence between two groups.The hypertrophy rate of caudate lobe was very quick in former 3 days,and then got slower on the day 14.The experimental group had a higher survival rate of 10 days (16/20 vs.4/20,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion It is safe and effective to undertake caudate lobe-sparing subtotal hepatoectomy after selective portal vein branches ligation in rats. Key words: Portal vein ligation; Caudate lobe; Hepatoectomy