Restoration of liver mass after partial hepatectomy - implications for living donor liver transplantation

Abstract In living donor liver transplantation; the recipient liver undergoes more rapid regeneration than the remnant liver in the donor. In this study we investigated the factors which may be responsible for the difference in the regenerative response between the donor and the recipient. Long Evans rats were subjected to either partial hepatectomy (PH) or sham operation (SH) and were treated with liver cytosol (C) and cyclosporine (Cy). The rats were sacrificed at 24; 48; 72 and 96 hours and 1 and 2 weeks postoperatively. The livers were removed to determine the liver weight/body weight (LW / BW) ratio and the mitotic index. The mitotic index; serum aspartate transferase (AST) and serum alanine transferase (ALT); although unchanged in the SH groups; were increased in the rats treated with PH + C + Cy; and were greater than after PH only. However LW / BW ratios increased after PH but had returned to preoperative levels by 2 weeks. The changes in LW / BW ratio were not modified by the cytosol or cyclosporine

Hypoalbuminaemia in brain-dead donors for liver transplantation: transplantation

Liver transplantation has become established as the treatment of choice for most patients with end-stage liver disease and is performed on a routine basis in most major centres throughout the world. The majority of donors for liver transplantation are brain-dead cadaver donors following either a severe head injury or a massive intracranial haemorrhage. Potential liver donors undergo a rigid screening process before being accepted. This includes a thorough clinical examination to assess the haemodynamic status of the donor and to exclude any overt evidence of liver disease. Blood samples are also taken for viral studies to exclude HIV infection and hepatitis B and C infection; and for liver function tests to exclude liver disease or liver injury. Over the years we have noted that our liver donors often had low serum albumin levels; although this has not been formally documented. A review of the literature revealed that hypoalbuminaemia associated with severe head injury has been documented previously. However the impact of brain death on serum albumin levels has not been studied previously. The present study was therefore undertaken to document serum albumin levels in brain-dead cadaver donors

Restoration of liver mass after partial hepatectomy - implications for living donor liver transplantation : transplantation

In living donor liver transplantation; the recipient liver undergoes more rapid regeneration than the remnant liver in the donor. In this study we investigated the factors which may be responsible for the difference in the regenerative response between the donor and the recipient. Long Evans rats were subjected to either partial hepatectomy (PH) or sham operation (SH) and were treated with liver cytosol (C) and cyclosporine (Cy). The rats were sacrificed at 24; 48; 72 and 96 hours and 1 and 2 weeks postoperatively. The livers were removed to determine the liver weight/body weight (LW / BW ) ratio and the mitotic index. The mitotic index; serum aspartate transferase (AST) and serum alanine transferase (ALT); although unchanged in the SH groups; were increased in the rats treated with PH + C + Cy; and were greater than after PH only. However LW / BW ratios increased after PH but had returned to preoperative levels by 2 weeks. The changes in LW / BW ratio were not modified by the cytosol or cyclosporine