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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
Intrasplenic Transplantation of Hepatocytes After Partial Hepatectomy in NOD.SCID Mice
Published on: February 10, 2018
Intrasplenic or subperitoneal hepatocyte transplantation to increase survival after surgically induced hepatic
G Gäbelein1, A K Nüssler, F Morgott
1Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, Charité, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Background:
As a basis for future clinical questions, we evaluated the efficacy of hepatocyte transplantation in a surgical model using a subperitoneal or intrasplenic approach for cell implantation.
Methods:
In rats, acute liver failure was induced by subtotal hepatectomy. Series of allogenic hepatocyte transplantations were performed by varying cell number, site, and sequence of cell transplantation.
Results:
Following subperitoneal or intrasplenic cell implantation subsequent to liver surgery, no survival benefit was achieved when compared to the control groups. However, intrasplenic cell implantation 24 h prior to liver surgery revealed a statistically significantly higher animal survival (72 vs. 29%).
Conclusion:
According to our experience, both timing and site of cell implantation played an important role in hepatocyte transplantation. Intrasplenic hepatocyte transplantation 1 day before liver surgery showed the best results in terms of survival. Consequently, we were able to establish a model of hepatocyte transplantation which may be the basis for further investigations evaluating potential treatment modalities to overcome deleterious postoperative liver insufficiency.
