Purpose: The main goal of this study was to determine the relationship of cleaved-caspase-3 (C3)-related apoptosis and hepatic proliferation, during the liver repopulation in a living liver donor rat model.
Material/methods: Thirty-three animals were randomized into eleven groups and evaluated on postoperative from 3 h until 384 h after 30%-partial hepatectomy (30%-PHx). Liver sections (5 μm) were processed by hematoxylin-eosin, and immunostaining for C3, accompanied by hepatic function test. C3 content and the hepatic lobule enlargement were analyzed by optical density, followed by cell counting.
Results: Transient variations of alanine transferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were found. Significant increase in the C3 levels, and cell nuclei number, were detected at 12 h and 48 h after 30%-PHx, evidencing a correlation of p = -0.3679.
Conclusion: In the 30%-PHx rat model, C3-related apoptosis prevents proliferative pathological conditions during the hepatic lobule re-modeling.
Keywords: Apoptosis; Cell nuclei; Hepatectomy; Liver donor; Time course.
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