SURGICAL PROCEDURES, such as extended liver resection or living-related liver transplantation may be performed because normal liver has vigorous regenerative potential. However, reduced hepatic volume can produce postoperative hepatic insufficiency, which is a serious problem. After extensive liver resection for hepatic tumor or in living-related liver donors maximum volume of liver resection or thus the minimum volume of donor liver are limited. When the volume exceeds these limits, surgical treatment is not indicated. However, a new treatment that promotes postoperative liver regeneration would extend these limits. Two approaches have been attempted to promote liver regeneration. One approach prepares the host environment for liver regeneration by plasma exchange. In recent years, favorable results also have been reported using a bioartificial liver as a bridge. The other approach is promotion of liver regeneration using hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or ethanolamine (EA). EA is a nutrient factor derived from the small intestine. In this study, we investigated the enhancing effect of EA using a 90% partial hepatectomy (PHX) rat model.
