Functional response of hepatocytes transplanted into Gunn rats stimulated with thyroid hormone.

In the attempt to translate laboratory studies into clinical practice, the small number of cells that can be transplanted is currently a problem to be solved. The aim of this work is to study the functional response of intrasplenically transplanted syngeneic rat adult and fetal hepatocytes to a proliferative stimulus, 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine. Total serum bilirubin significantly decreased from 7 to 90 days after fetal hepatocyte transplantation and from 24 hr to 30 days after adult hepatocyte transplantation. Concomitant with these changes, bile conjugated bilirubin increased from 7 to 90 days after fetal and from 24 hr to 30 days after adult hepatocyte transplantation. In both cases, administration of thyroid hormone enhances this effect. We conclude that although adult and fetal hepatocytes correct the hyperbilirubinemia, fetal cells function longer than adult hepatocytes. Thyroid hormone is a powerful stimulator of function of hepatocytes since it improves both adult and fetal response.