Abstract

The subject of creating an "assistant" liver when the functions of the primary organ are deranged has drawn attention for a long time. A practical option is hepatocyte transplantation. The aim of this study was to monitor the natural history of allogeneic rat hepatocytes transplanted into a splenically and to investigate the possible differences between normal hepatocytes, hepatocytes from partially hepatectomized animals and fetal hepatocytes. Wistar Albino rats were used throughout the study. Three experimental groups were formed. Hepatocytes from normal adults, hepatocytes from partially hepatectomized adult rats and fetal hepatocytes were transplanted under the spleen capsule. Rats were sacrificed under ether anaesthesia at days 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 after transplantation and examined by light microscopy. Examination of the histological sections from animals sacrificed on day 2 revealed hepatocytes forming groups of 2-4 in all three groups. Of particular interest, in the group which underwent fetal hepatocyte transplantation, fibrous structures resembling bile canaliculi were observed. Allogeneic hepatocytes transplantation is known to resuft in the rejection of hepatocytes within a short period. The survival of the hepatocytes transplanted into the spleen is apparently determined by histocompatability.