Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging quantitation of rat liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy

This report demonstrates the advantages of using a noninvasive soft tissue imaging technique--magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)--to monitor liver regeneration after 70% partial hepatectomy in the rat in a longitudinal manner. Six animals were scanned prior to and on 6 subsequent occasions up to 9 days after surgical removal of the median and left lateral lobes. Within the observed time frame liver volumes were restored to approximately 88% of presurgery values. Final liver volumes correlated well with postmortem liver weights (R = 0.93). Regeneration is well-quantified empirically by a 4 parameter logistic equation: % Regeneration = 84 - (84/(1 + (Days/2.31)(2.34))) The rate of regeneration was maximal at 1.5 days, which coincided with the maximum increase of Mitotic Index--a measure of cell proliferation, determined in a subsequent study. Pre- and postpartial hepatectomy measurements remove two potentially confounding unknowns--the presurgery liver volume, and the amount of liver actually excised. 3D reconstructions of the liver effectively illustrate the morphological changes associated with the procedure, and the regrowth of liver tissue.