A Simple and Effective Method to Improve Intrasplenic Rat Hepatocyte Transplantation

V. SIGOT; M.G. MEDIAVILLA; G.FURNO, ; J.V. RODRIGUEZ; , E.E. GUIBERT

CELL TRANSPLANTATION

COGNIZANT COMMUNICATION CORP

Año: 2004 vol. 13 p. 775 - 781

0963-6897

Transplanted hepatocytes integrate, survive, and express their specific functions in the liverparenchyma.The aim of this study was to determine whether a large number of hepatocytes could movefrom the spleen to the liver when the cells are injected together with sodium nitroprusside,and if the improved hepatocyte migration may be related with portal vein dilatation. Wistarrats were transplanted in the spleen with fluorescent-labeled hepatocytes alone or togetherwith sodium nitroprusside. At 1, 3, 6, and 24 h after the transplant, the liver from recipientanimals was removed and morphometric analyses were performed. Portal and arterialpressures were also measured immediately after intrasplenic injection of a solution ofsodium nitroprusside, hepatocytes alone, or hepatocytes plus sodium nitroprusside.Intrasplenically injected sodium nitroprusside produced a transient drop in arterial pressureand a sustained reduction in portal pressure. During hepatocyte transplantation it increasedthe number of transplanted cells migrating to the liver after 3 h. Sodium nitroprusside   simultaneously injected with hepatocytes in the spleen allowed more cells to migrate into theliver of the host animal without risk in animal survival.