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

Figure 2 Repopulation kinetics of hepatocellular Tx. DPPIV+ donor hepatocytes were isolated and infused into DPPIV-deficient rats through the portal vein. The visualized DPPIV+ cells in recipient were processed by a computer-aided analysis. Data are presented as mean± SD from three to six individuals in two or three independent experiments. Tx: transplantation; DPPIV: dipeptidyl peptidase IV. A: Kinetics of liver repopulation. Transplanted cell numbers into 1-3 mo and 20 mo were 2?06 and 1?06, respectively. The repopulation rate increased dramatically over 3 mo and reached a plateau at 20 mo; B: Kinetics of colony size and cell replication. Transplanted cell numbers into 1-2 mo and 3 mo were 2?06 and 1?06, respectively. The estimation technique of cell replication rounds is explained in Results. The average colony size from donor hepatocytes in the 3 mo after Tx are filled squares and the estimated number of rounds of cell replication are open squares and C: Cell-dose effect on liver repopulation and colony numbers. All samples collected at 3 mo after Tx and the repopulation rate (filled circles) and colony numbers (open circles) showed a similar trend.