Background and Purpose: Splenectomy can enhance liver regeneration after major hepatectomy probably due to removal of inhibitory factors released from the spleen. Activin-A, a superfamily of TGF-β, can negatively regulate liver regeneration. Aim of our study was to investigate whether activin-a may play a role in enhancing liver regeneration in hepatectomized rats with splenectomy. Material and
Methods: Male wistar rats, weighing 250gw, received 70% hepatectomy without (PH) or with splenectomy (PHSL). These rats were sacrificed at different time schedule. The increasing liver/body weight ratio, regeneration of hepatocytes, mRNA and protein expression of activin-A were compared.
Results: The liver/body weight ratio was significantly higher in the PHSL group than that in PH group since 1 day later. The mRNA and protein expression of activin-A are significantly lower in the PHSL group than those in PH group in the first 12 hours. In the PHSL group, PCNA staining showed the regeneration of hepatocytes was increased and the expression of activin-A in the hepatocytes and kupper cells was decreased when compared with the PH group in the first 48 hours after operation. After the early mitogenic stimulation by HGF, the protein expression of activin-A is persistent decreased and negative correlated with liver weight ratio in PHSL group.
Conclusion: After major hepatectomy, simultaneous splenectomy can accelerate early liver regeneration via decreasing expression of activin-A.