179 Introduction: Isolated hepatocyte transplantation (HTX) has been shown to improve the survival of laboratory animals with experimentally-induced acute liver failure and to improve the physiologic abnormalities associated with liver-based metabolic deficiencies. The role of HTX in prolonging survival and improving the liver function of animals with decompensated liver cirrhosis, however, has not been adequately studied. In order to address this issue, HTX was performed in rats following induction of stable decompensated liver cirrhosis (LC). Methods: Liver cirrhosis was induced using phenobarbital (PhB) and carbon tetrachloride (CCL4). To avoid the regression of cirrhosis known to follow discontinuation of CCL4, CCL4 was continued until physiologic abnormalities did not improve when CCL4 was held for 4 weeks and the dose was adjusted based on changes in body weight. Twenty five rats developed irreversible ascites and maintained a total bilirubin (TB) >0.5 mg/dl, albumin <2.6 g/dl, prothrombin time (PT) >14.5 sec, and ammonia (NH3) >145 mmol/l. Rats were randomly divided into the following groups: Group 1 (G1: n=5), intrasplenic transplantation of 50×106 primary syngeneic rat hepatocytes; Group 2 (G2: n=5), intraperitoneal transplantation of 200×106 primary syngeneic rat hepatocytes; Group 3 (G3: n=5), intraperitoneal transplantation of a cellular homogenate of 200×106 primary syngeneic rat hepatocytes; Group 4 (G4: n=5), intraperitoneal transplantation of 200×106 syngeneic rat bone marrow cells; and Group 5 (G5: n=5), intrasplenic injection of 1 ml DMEM. Results: Following transplantation, body weight and serum albumin deteriorated over time in all control (G2-G5) animals but did not deteriorate in animals receiving intrasplenic HTX (G1) (p<0.01). Similarly, laboratory tests and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) score remained abnormal in control (G2-G5) animals but significantly improved toward normal in G1 animals. At 35d post-HTX, all measures of liver decompensation were significantly different: PT (G1: 14.0±0.7 sec vs G2-G5: 21.6±1.7 sec), TB (G1: 0.54±0.11 vs G2-G5: 0.99±0.12 mg/dl), NH3 (G1: 122 ± 20 vs G2-G5: 217±17 mmol/L) and HE score (G1: 11.0±2.3 vs G5: 4.8±0.5, no HE=15) (P <0.01). Moreover, survival of animals receiving intrasplenic HTX was significantly prolonged compared to all other groups from 40.0± 4.5 d to 76.6± 4.4 d (G1 vs G2-G5, P <0.01). Postmortem examination revealed severe portal hypertension and histological evidence of micronodular cirrhosis in all rats. Conclusions: Intrasplenic HTX can improve liver function and prolong the survival of rats with irreversible, decompensated liver cirrhosis and may be useful in the treatment of cirrhosis in man.