The therapy of auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation for acute liver failure in mice

Abstract

Objective Auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation (APOLT) is an effective treatment for fulminant liver failure. However, information on the experimental problem and hepatocyte proliferation mechanism of native and donor liver is lacking. In this study, an effective APOLT model for acute liver failure (ALF) in mice is established to address these issues. Methods We created an ALF mouse model wherein about 82% of liver tissue was resected with total hepatic vascular exclusion. The procedure lasted 25 min. Donor liver was transplanted to the left lateral lobe of the C57BL of the recipient. Results In the ALF group, most mice died within 2-day because of liver failure. Of the 33 mice that received APOLT, 27 lived for more than 7-day. Significantly increased the levels of transaminases, serum ammonia, total bilirubin and liver cell apoptosis were observed in the ALF group, whereas treatment with APOLT reduced all these parameters. In addition, significant regeneration of the native liver with the auxiliary liver graft was observed in the APOLT group. Conclusion It was proved that APOLT could totally meliorate the liver functions, reduce the native liver apoptosis, and facilitate the native liver proliferation in acute liver failure by means of mouse APOLT model. Key words: acute liver failure; liver transplantation; mouse; apoptosis; liver regeneration