Sodium taurocholate promotes liver regeneration after portal vein ligation in rats

To investigate the mechanism of oral sodium taurocholate on liver regeneration after portal vein ligation. A rat model of 70% portal vein ligation (PVL) was established. The rats were randomly divided into a sodium taurocholate intervention group (PVL treatment, PVLT) and a normal diet control group (PVL control, PVLC). Histological damage and bile duct hyperplasia were assessed by H&E and CK19 staining. Liver regeneration capacity was evaluated by measuring the ratio of non-ligated liver lobe weight to total liver weight and the expression of Ki67 protein. Liver function was assessed by measuring serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBil), total bile acids (TBA), and hepatic TBA levels. Transcriptome analysis was performed using bulk RNA sequencing, combined with qPCR validation of gene expression related to bile acid metabolism. In the non-ligated lobes of both PVLT and PVLC groups, we found mild bile duct hyperplasia confined to the portal areas (p > 0.05), with no evident histological damage. Ki67 expression peaked on the second day after surgery in both groups, with more significant liver regeneration observed in the PVLT group. Sodium taurocholate administration led to bile acid accumulation and concomitant liver function injury. Transcriptome analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in the bile acid secretion pathway, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) suggested activation of the Hippo signaling pathway. Sodium taurocholate promotes liver regeneration after portal vein ligation by regulating bile acid metabolism and the Hippo signaling pathway.