Effect of olprinone on liver microstructure in rat partial liver transplantation.

Background: Donor safety is a major concern in living-donor liver transplantation. However, partial grafts do not meet the functional demands of recipients and lead to small-for-size syndrome (SFSS). In a previous study, we showed that olprinone (OLP), a selective phosphodiesterase ІІІ inhibitor, up-regulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase level in the liver and attenuates shear stress, sinusoidal endothelial cell injury, and hepatocyte apoptosis after excessive liver resection in a rat model.