Biomechanics in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy

Yi Wu; Ning Li; Xinyu Shu; Wang Li; Xiaoyu Zhang; Dongyuan Lü; Mian Long

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2023.1165651

Biomechanics in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 May 5:11:1165651. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1165651. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yi Wu^{1

2}, Ning Li^{1

2}, Xinyu Shu^{1

2}, Wang Li^{1

2}, Xiaoyu Zhang^{1

2}, Dongyuan Lü^{1

2}, Mian Long^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Center for Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Engineered Construction and Mechanobiology and Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory), Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
² School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Abstract

The liver is a complicated organ within the body that performs wide-ranging and vital functions and also has a unique regenerative capacity after hepatic tissue injury and cell loss. Liver regeneration from acute injury is always beneficial and has been extensively studied. Experimental models including partial hepatectomy (PHx) reveal that extracellular and intracellular signaling pathways can help the liver recover to its equivalent size and weight prior to an injury. In this process, mechanical cues possess immediate and drastic changes in liver regeneration after PHx and also serve as main triggering factors and significant driving forces. This review summarized the biomechanics progress in liver regeneration after PHx, mainly focusing on PHx-based hemodynamics changes in liver regeneration and the decoupling of mechanical forces in hepatic sinusoids including shear stress, mechanical stretch, blood pressure, and tissue stiffness. Also discussed were the potential mechanosensors, mechanotransductive pathways, and mechanocrine responses under varied mechanical loading in vitro. Further elucidating these mechanical concepts in liver regeneration helps establish a comprehensive understanding of the biochemical factors and mechanical cues in this process. Proper adjustment of mechanical loading within the liver might preserve and restore liver functions in clinical settings, serving as an effective therapy for liver injury and diseases.

Keywords: hemodynamics; liver regeneration; mechanical loading; mechanotransduction; partial hepatectomy.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China grant 2021YFA0719302 and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 32130061 and 31870931).