Amelioration of radiation-induced liver damage in partially hepatectomized rats by hepatocyte transplantation.

Hepatic tumors often recur in the liver after surgical resection. Postoperative radiotherapy (RT) could improve survival, but curative RT may induce delayed life-threatening radiation-induced liver damage. Because RT inhibits liver regeneration, we hypothesized that unirradiated, transplanted hepatocytes would proliferate preferentially in a partially resected and irradiated liver, providing metabolic support. We subjected F344 rats to hepatic RT and partial hepatectomy with/without a single intrasplenic, syngeneic hepatocyte transplantation. Hepatocyte transplantation ameliorated radiation-induced liver damage and improved survival of rats receiving RT after partial hepatectomy. We further demonstrated that transplanted hepatocytes extensively repopulate and function in a heavily irradiated rat liver.