HEPATOTROPHIC EFFECT OF FOLINIC ACID IN RATS

Hepatic ischemia hinders the proliferative response of hepatocytes, ne cessary to restore the liver/body ratio after liver resection/transpla ntation. Folinic acid administered during the ischemic period followin g 70% hepatectomy plus 15 min of normothermic liver ischemia has resto red the regenerative response to the levels of normoperfused livers. T his unexpected finding has guided us to design the present study in or der to find out whether the folinic acid is an hepatotrophic substance or not. Sprague-Dawley rats submitted to partial (40 or 70%) hepatect omies were used. Saline (2 CC) Or folinic acid (2.5 mg/kg) have been a dministered i.v. Forty-eight hours after hepatectomy the hepatocyte's DNA content has been assessed by means of a cytophotometric technique, and the percentage of regenerating hepatocytes (PRH) has been calcula ted. Folinic acid administration has significantly increased the PRH i n both resting (5.1 vs 1.2) and regenerating livers (70% hepatectomy) (22.2 vs 41) when compared with nontreated groups. Folinic acid admini stration after liver ischemia plus hepatectomy has shown similar resul ts, corroborating our previous study. Although its mechanisms of augme ntation of liver regeneration remain unclear and further studies are r equired, folinic acid seems to be a promising therapeutic tool in live r surgery. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.