Does hepatocyte transplantation in a chemically induced acute hepatic failure make sense?

Acute hepatic insufficiency (AHF) is one of the major challenges of intensive care medicine. Liver transplantation is the current solution to unsuccessful medical management. Owing to the lack of organ donors, other methods such as hepatocyte transplantation (HcTX) and bioartificial livers need to be explored. The aim of our experimental study is to evaluate the effect of hepatocyte transplantation on the survival in AHF animals intoxicated with D-Galactosamine (D-Gal).

The first step consists of the determination of the dose of D-Gal needed to induce at least 80% mortality between 48 and 72 hours. Two groups of a single strain of male Wistar rats are then compared, one being intoxicated with D-Gal (control group), the other receiving and HcTX in the splenic parenchyma 48 hours after intoxication.

The required dose to achieve AHF is 3 gr/kg body weight (Gr. 0). Survival rates are as follow: Gr. 1: D0: 93%; from D1 to D28: 13%. Gr. 2: D0: 80%; D1 and D2: 33%; D3: 20%; D4: 13%, from D5 to D28: 6%. (D0 = Day of transplantation). Liver enzymes show a peak of deterioration at 24 hours, then return to normal values in both groups. Histological examination of those animals still alive and sacrificed on day 28 demonstrates a restitutio ad integrum of hepatic structure. In Group 2, it is possible to observe remaining living hepatocytes in the splenic parenchyma.

When HcTX is performed 48 hours after D-Gal intoxication, i.e., when the animals begin to develop AHF symptoms, animal survival only significantly improves between days 0 and 3. Unlike other trials, we cannot demonstrate an improvement in long-term survival. Thus, according to this particular experimental model, HcTX is not an alternative for the treatment of AHF.