Modified Technique of Auxiliary Partial Liver Transplantation in Rat for the Study of Liver Regeneration and Tissue Engineering In Vivo, A
Comprehensive Transplant Center and Department of SurgeryDepartment of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
Meeting: 2013 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: D1629
Background:Organ engineering and regenerative medicine using decellularized liver scaffolds offer a promising solution to organ shortage. Auxiliary partial liver transplantation (APLT) in rat is considered a useful tool for the evaluations of biological properties and functions of recellularized liver grafts. This study is aimed to develop a new technique for auxiliary partial liver transplantation (APLT) in rats with portal vein (PV) to PV revascularization for the study of liver regeneration and bioengineering.
Methods:Male SD rats were used as both donors and recipients. Donor right lobes, approximately 22% of the whole liver, were transplanted into recipients by end-to-side anastomoses between the donor PV and the recipient PV and between the donor IVC and the recipient IVC. The donor common bile duct (CBD) was connected to the recipient duodenum over a stent. To establish life-sustaining APLTs, the recipients were subjected to 90% native hepatectomy with the CBD ligated to induce acute liver failure (ALF) at the time of transplantation. The recipients were monitored until POD60 or sequentially sacrificed on POD7-30 for histopathological and functional examinations. Hepatocyte proliferation was evaluated by bromodeoxyuridine(Brdu) incorporation and immunocytochemistry.
Results:More than 50 APLTs with PV to PV reconstruction have been performed in recipients with ALF. The success rate (defined by a seven-day survival) was 88% in the latest 30 consecutive APLTs. Four died from surgical complications (bleeding/thrombosis), the remainder of the APLT recipients with ALF induction survived until the endpoint of study, while those without APLT succumbed to ALF (n=5) in three days. Macroscopic examination showed that the size of the liver partial grafts increased rapidly (70%) during the first two weeks and grew to the normal size in four weeks, reflecting the liver’s unique regenerative capability. Brdu staining show that hepatocyte proliferation peaked at 14 days after transplantation.
CONCLUSIONS:The rat APLT with PV to PV reconstruction can be performed with a high success rate. The technique described here may be more advantageous over other rat APLT models with portal arterialization as it provides a physiologically relevant model to study liver regeneration.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Wu Y, Wang J, Ye J, Abecassis M, Wertheim J, Zhang Z. Modified Technique of Auxiliary Partial Liver Transplantation in Rat for the Study of Liver Regeneration and Tissue Engineering In Vivo, A [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2013; 13 (suppl 5). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/modified-technique-of-auxiliary-partial-liver-transplantation-in-rat-for-the-study-of-liver-regeneration-and-tissue-engineering-in-vivo-a/. Accessed May 10, 2025.« Back to 2013 American Transplant Congress