Study of the survival of hepatocytes transplanted to the spleen in rats.

Background/aims: Although liver transplantation offers a chance of cure for patients with advanced liver disease, the shortage and the lack of immediate availability of donors remains a serious problem. We studied the long-term survival of intrasplenically transplanted hepatocytes in an attempt to provide a safe and effective support to the diseased native liver.

Methodology: A preliminary study was performed to identify the optimal number of hepatocytes to be transplanted into the spleen of rats to prevent acute liver failure following massive liver resection. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: Group I (n=25), Group II (n=25), Group III (n=25) and Group IV (n=25), sacrificed 48 hours and 2, 4 and 6 weeks after intrasplenic hepatocyte transplantation, respectively. All the spleen specimens of sacrificed animals were stained by PAS stain and examined for the presence of viable hepatocytes.

Results: As detected by PAS stain intrasplenically transplanted hepatocytes were found to be viable inside the recipient spleen for up to four weeks. However, the number of viable cells decreased with time. After six weeks, no viable hepatocytes could be detected in the spleen.

Conclusions: Intrasplenic hepatocyte transplantation can achieve a long-term survival inside the recipient spleen and provide hope for a new therapeutic modality for management of liver disease.