Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids promote liver regeneration after 90% hepatectomy in rats

AIM： To evaluate the effectiveness of omega-3 polyun- saturated fatty acid （ω-3 PUFA） administration on liver regeneration after 90% partial hepatectomy （PH） in rats. METHODS： ω-3 PUFAs were intravenously injected in the ω-3 PUFA group before PH surgery. PH, spar- ing only the caudate lobe, was performed in both the control and the ω-3 PUFA group. Survival rates, liver weight/body weight ratios, liver weights, HE staining, transmission electron microscope imaging, nuclear- associated antigen Ki-67, enzyme-linked immunosor- bent assay and signal transduction were evaluated to analyze liver regeneration. RESULTS： All rats in the control group died within 30 h after hepatectomy. Survival rates in the ω-3 PUFA group were 20/20 at 30 h and 4/20 1 wk after PH.Liver weight/body weight ratios and liver weights in- creased significantly in the ω-3 PUFA group. The struc- ture of sinusoidal endothelial cells and space of Disse was greatly restored in the ω-3 PUFA group compared to the control group after PH. In the ω-3 PUFA group, interleukin （IL）-4 and IL-10 levels were significantly increased whereas IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-ω levels were dramatically decreased. In addition, activa- tion of protein kinase B （Akt） and of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathway were identified at an earlier time after PH in the ω-3 PUFA group.CONCLUSION： Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may prevent acute liver failure and promote liver re- generation after 90% hepatectomy in rats.