Abstract
Objective : Liver transplantation is an effective method for the treatment of hepatic failure, but donor shortage remains problematic. This study was conducted to develop an effective auxiliary liver capable of compensating for the donor shortage. Design : Male Wistar rats (300-400g) were used. A jejunal segment (2-3 cm) was isolated together with a feeding pedicle. After the removal of the mucosa, the intestinal segment was filled with liver microfragments obtained from the left liver of the same individual rat. Groups of 3-5 rats were killed at various intervals and the viability of the liver graft was analyzed histologically. Results : Within 10 days after transplantation, the confluence of the transplanted liver tissue was restored and the tissue exhibited a normal hepatic architecture. However, the confluent and enlarged liver tissue gradually became necrotic, and nearly 70% of the liver tissue had been lost at 40 days after transplantation. After 10 months, almost all the liver tissue had become necrotic, although the intestinal segment remained viable. Conclusions : This method has the potential to construct an effective auxiliary liver ; however, further improvement to obtain sufficient blood flow will be required to maintain the transplanted liver tissue.
