A simple and effective method to improve intrasplenic rat hepatocyte transplantation.

Transplanted hepatocytes integrate, survive, and express their specific functions in the liver parenchyma. The aim of this study was to determine whether a large number of hepatocytes could move from the spleen to the liver when the cells are injected together with sodium nitroprusside, and if the improved hepatocyte migration may be related with portal vein dilatation. Wistar rats were transplanted in the spleen with fluorescent-labeled hepatocytes alone or together with sodium nitroprusside. At 1, 3, 6, and 24 h after the transplant, the liver from recipient animals was removed and morphometric analyses were performed. Portal and arterial pressures were also measured immediately after intrasplenic injection of a solution of sodium nitroprusside, hepatocytes alone, or hepatocytes plus sodium nitroprusside. Intrasplenically injected sodium nitroprusside produced a transient drop in arterial pressure and a sustained reduction in portal pressure. During hepatocyte transplantation it increased the number of transplanted cells migrating to the liver after 3 h. Sodium nitroprusside simultaneously injected with hepatocytes in the spleen allowed more cells to migrate into the liver of the host animal without risk in animal survival.