Usefulness of Erythropoietin to Enhance Liver Regeneration of Steatotic Rats after Portal Vein Ligation

Portal vein embolization (PVE) and portal vein ligation (PVL) have been increasingly applied prior to major hepatic resection with aims of increasing resectability rates and minimizing postoperative liver failure. The amount of liver regeneration concerning future liver remnant (FLR) varies enormously, with an increased volume of 7% to 79%, depending on quality of the liver parenchyma. Along with growing number of metabolic syndrome patients, the incidence of non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are expected to increase dramatically. Meanwhile, steatohepatitis induced by chemotherapeutic drugs, is drawing great attention because staged hepatectomy with or without PVE/PVL is desirable. EPO has currently been discovered to have a potential tissue protector in various organs such as the brain for stroke, cardiomyocytes for coronary artery disease, and kidney for reperfusion disease. Currently, Epo has also been shown to have a positive effect on liver regeneration after reperfusion injury and/or hepatectomy. The aims of this study are to audit whether and how Epo can be employed to enhance liver regeneration of steatotic liver after PVL to a maximum extent, as well its molecular mechanism.

Project ID:PC10007-0375
External Project ID:NSC100-2314-B182-012