[Animal modeling] - rat reduced volume liver transplantation model

  With the development of reduced volume liver transplantation in clinical practice, rat reduced volume orthotopic liver transplantation models have also emerged. There are strict requirements for the matching of donor liver volume in adult live donor liver transplantation in clinical practice. The relative and absolute inadequacy of donor liver volume (with a weight to body weight ratio of less than 0.8% to GRBW or a liver to body weight ratio of less than 40% to GV/SLV) may lead to unmet hemodynamic changes and metabolic needs of the recipient, resulting in small liver syndrome. In a rat model, we conducted relevant studies on three different volumes of reduced volume liver transplantation.

  The rat liver can usually be divided into: left lobe (left outer lobe), middle lobe (middle left lobe, middle right lobe), right lobe (upper right lobe, lower right lobe), and papillary lobe and caudal lobe (double caudal lobe) (note: the naming of liver lobes varies slightly in different books, such as the middle left lobe, which can also be called left middle lobe, etc.). The proportions of each lobe to liver volume are: left lobe 32%, middle left lobe 12%, middle right lobe 24%, upper right lobe 7%, lower right lobe 16%, and double tail lobe 9%. Liver transplantation was performed using the right lobe and middle lobe of rats as donor liver, reducing the liver volume to 50%. The survival rate showed no difference compared to whole liver transplantation. Liver transplantation was performed using the middle lobe of rats as the donor liver, reducing the liver volume to 36%, resulting in a 2-week survival rate of 70%. Liver transplantation was performed using the middle right lobe as the donor liver, reducing it to 24% of the liver volume, resulting in an 11 day survival rate of 30%. The liver function of rats after 24% volume right lobe transplantation was tested and compared with rats in the whole liver transplantation group. The results showed that ALT and AST were significantly higher than those in the whole liver transplantation group on the first day after reduced volume liver transplantation. Although ALT and AST decreased afterwards, they were still higher than those in the whole liver transplantation group; The serum total bilirubin significantly increased from the third day after surgery.

  Further use of color Doppler ultrasound to detect portal vein blood flow after liver transplantation revealed that the velocity of portal vein blood flow in the reduced volume group was significantly slower than that in the whole liver transplantation group (5cm/s vs 8cm/s), indicating the presence of portal hypertension. Therefore, we believe that 36% volume liver transplantation is more beneficial for the treatment of small liver syndrome and can serve as an animal model for small liver syndrome after liver transplantation.