Quantitative evaluation of long-term liver repopulation and the reconstitution of bile ductules after hepatocellular transplantation

Table 1 Effect of transplant cell dose and time on the efficiency of liver repopulation in vivo after HTx

Time of Tx (mo)	Kinetics of repopulation				Effect of cell dose on repopulation
	1	2	3	20	3	3	3	3	3
Infused cell number Post Tx	2×106	2×106	2×106	1×106	1×106	1×105	1×104	1×13	1×102
Liver repopulation (%)	14.8±4.2	50.7± 13.9	70.4?±9.0	89.8± 4.7	51.0± 4.7	28.9± 7.2	13.8± 5.0	1.1± 1.2	0.6± 0.6
Colony number/mm2	5.48± 1.10	5.1±.1.40	NA	NA	2.64±0.16	0.91±0.05	0.37±0.39	0.09±0.07	0.01±.01
Diameter of colony (μm)	149.4± 110.5	280.1±219.4	NA	NA	425.2± 278.8	376.7± 64.8	476.5± 54.5	354.5± 108.9	698.7± 39.2
Number of animals	6	6	3	4	3	3	4	4	4
Area examined (mm2)	365.0	402.0	66.6	2386.5	77.6	284.1	464.8	458.0	470.5

Donor cells were derived from DPPIV+ rats. Recipients were DPPIV-deficient rats treated with retrorsine and two-thirds PH; DPPIV+ cells were visualized by their enzymatic activity after histochemical staining of cryostat sections. The characteristics of repopulation, colony number and colony diameter were analyzed based on DPPIV+ cells. Computer-aided area analysis was used for quantitative detection of repopulation. All of the data presented as mean± SD from three to six individuals in two or three independent experiments. HTx: hepatocellular transplantation; Tx: transplantation; NA: not applicable.