Short bowel syndrome (SBS) patients require total parenteral nutrition (TPN) following massive small bowel resection (SBR), which may cause intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD), a life-threatening complication. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) acts as a potent hepatocyte mitogen with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions. The present study evaluated the effect of recombinant human HGF (rh-HGF) on SBR and subsequent IFALD using a parentally fed rat model of SBS.
Rats underwent jugular vein catheterization for continuous TPN and 90% SBR. They were divided into 2 groups: TPN alone (SBS/TPN group: n=7) or TPN plus the intravenous administration of rh-HGF (0.3 mg/kg/day) (SBS/TPN+HGF group: n=7). On day 7, their tissues and stool were harvested to evaluate the effects of HGF.
Regarding the histological findings, based on the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score, the SBS/TPN+HGF group showed significantly less hepatic steatosis and inflammatory cell infiltration than the SBS/TPN group (NAFLD activity score, 4.00 ± 1.83 vs. 1.00 ± 0.82; p
