The prognosis of patients after massive hepatectomy is poor in certain cases whose hepatic reserve, including reticuloendothelial function, is deteriorated. We administered OK-432 before 70% hepatectomy on rats to activate the reticuloendothelial function and studied its effect on postoperative course. The elevations in plasma endotoxin, GOT and GTP were attenuated, and the deterioration of the complement activity after hepatectomy was greatly improved by OK-432 treatment. The RNA content in the liver was significantly increased by OK-432 administration. These findings suggest that activation of the reticuloendothelial function at the time of massive hepatectomy enhances endotoxin clearance from blood and thereby contributes in lessening the magnitude of hepatic injury, maintaining the serum complement, and improving liver protein synthesis. massive hepatectomy ; reticuloendothelial function ; endotoxemia ; postoperative liver injury Massive hepatectomy sometimes induces postoperative multiple organ failure (MOF) such as liver failure, renal failure, respiratory failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and gastrointestinal bleeding. It has been pointed out that deterioration in the clearance of toxic substances, including endotoxin, due to a decreased reticuloendothelial function, is involved in the pathogenesis of these surgical complications. We, therefore, performed 70% hepatectomy in rats which had been treated with OK-432 (Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Tokyo) to activate the reticuloendothelial function and evaluated the significance of the activation of this function from various aspects of blood endotoxin level, total hemolytic complement (CH50) and liver function tests, energy metabolism and regeneration of the liver.
MATERIALS and METHODSMale Spraque-Dawley rats weighing 200 to 250 g were used in the present experiments.