Effects of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Administration on Liver Hypertrophy After Portal Vein Embolization in a Rabbit Model

Background: Postoperative liver failure is one of the most frequent causes of perioperative mortality in hepatectomy patients, even with preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE). However, recent research has found that administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) improves liver function and increases the survival rate of patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. This study aimed to determine the effects of G-CSF administration on liver hypertrophy after PVE in a rabbit model. Methods: Eight rabbits were divided into an embolization only (PVE) group (n = 4) and an embolization with G-CSF administration (G-CSF) group (n = 4). The degree of nonembolized liver volume hypertrophy (DLV) and the immunohistochemistry for Ki67, RAM11, and CD34 levels were compared between the two groups to quantify macrophage and cell proliferation and the presence of CD34-positive cells in the liver. Results: The median DLV in the PVE group was 14.7%, compared to 18.8% in the G-CSF group. This was a significant difference (p = 0.042). The expression of both Ki67 and RAM11 in the nonembolized parts of the livers of the G-CSF group was significantly greater than in the nonembolized livers of the PVE group (p = 0.0003). There was no significant difference in CD34 expression in the nonembolized livers of the rabbits in the two groups. Conclusions: In our rabbit model, the DLV and cell proliferation in the G-CSF group were significantly greater than in the PVE group. This suggests that G-CSF administration with PVE prompts the proliferation of liver