The Use of Erythropoietin in Liver Regeneration in Pigs after Partial Hepatectomy

Abstract

A partial hepatectomy is a surgical procedure performed during the living-donor liver transplantation and sometimes the only option for patients with hepatocarcinoma. However the remnant liver after the hepatectomy is still a major concern. Therefore, the process of liver regeneration has been a constant theme of study in order to optimize this process. Erythropoietin, a hormone produced by the kidney and involved in protecting organs like heart, liver and kidney itself against injuries can be one of these factors that could accelerate the liver regeneration. This study aims to observe if erythropoietin can accelerate the process of liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in pigs. Methods: 8 pigs were classified into 2 groups of 4 pigs each: the control group and the test group. The animals in the first group underwent an application of saline solution subcutaneous on the day before the hepatectomy. Instead of saline solution, the test groups received a subcutaneous injection of 200 UI/lg of recombinant erythropoietin also on the day before the surgical procedure. After 7 days since the hepatectomy, in each animal the liver was biopsied in two regions, one next to the hepatectomy section and other far from it. The liver regeneration was analyzed using Ki-67. Results: Pigs from control group presented the following results: Control pig I: 30% of regeneration in the hepatectomy section and 10% in the region far from it; control pig II 24% and 4%; control pig III 27% and 7%. The test group presented no significant liver regeneration since Ki-67 could not identify cell proliferation in neither the biopsied areas. Conclusion: Since the number of pigs was not statistically significant, we could not conclude any further hypothesis. We strong believe that enhancing the number of pigs and testing different doses, we will be able to reach further conclusions.