Hs. Lai et al., CHANGES IN T-LYMPHOCYTE SUBPOPULATIONS AND SERUM LYMPHOKINE CONCENTRATIONS AFTER PARTIAL-HEPATECTOMY IN RATS, Nutrition, 12(10), 1996, pp. 700-705
The relationship between liver regeneration and immunological response
does exist. Extrathymic T cells and serum lymphokines are believed to
be changed after partial hepatectomy, but there is still much controv
ersy. This study evaluates the changes of peripheral blood T-lymphocyt
e subpopulations, natural killer (NK) cells, serum lymphokines, and NK
cells in the remnant liver after partial hepatectomy. Male Wistar rat
s weighing around 200 g were used as subjects. Partial hepatectomies (
67%) were done. Counting T-lymphocyte subpopulations (includes T3, T4,
T8, T-IL2R, and NK cells) by using fluorescin isothiocyanate or phyco
erythrin was performed preoperatively and on 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 d p
ostoperatively. Serum gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN), interleukin-2 and
interleukin-2 receptor concentrations were measured. Absolute number o
f NK cells in the remnant liver was also counted. Rats with right-side
nephrectomy, sham operation, and no operation were used as control gr
oups, Comparing the difference between all groups, we found that all T
-lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood, serum gamma-IFN, perip
heral blood NK cells, and the absolute number of NK cells in the remna
nt liver of hepatectomized rats increased markedly, and were significa
ntly higher than control groups rats, on the fifth and seventh post-he
patectomy day. It is suggested that gamma-IFN and NK cells were activa
ted markedly and might play important roles in the regulation of liver
regeneration after partial hepatectomy.