Effect of Recombinant Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor 165 on the Liver Function in Cirrhotic Rats

Objective To investigate the effect of portal vein infusion of recombinant vascular endothelial growth factor 165 on liver function in cirrhotic rats.Methods Fifty male SD rats,weighting 180-220 g,were randomly divided into normal group(n = 10) and model group(n = 40).The model group was used to induce cirrhosis using the thioacetamide approach.After 10 weeks,25 cirrhotic rats were randomly divided into experimental group(n = 15) and model control group(n = 10).The experimental group was intubated for implantation of an Alzet osmotic pump,which was used to infuse recombinant VEGF165 via the portal vein for 2 weeks.The normal group and model control group underwent sham operation.All rats were killed after 2 weeks,and the pathological changes in liver tissue were observed by HE staining.Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),albumin(ALB) and total bilirubin(TBIL) content were measured by automatic biochemical analyzer.Results Degeneration and necrosis of liver cells,diffused proliferation of fibrous connective tissue and the formation of pseudo lobules appeared in the model control group.In the experimental group,degeneration and necrosis of liver cells were milder and the rate of liver fibrosis was improved significantly compared to the model control group(P 0.01).Compared to the normal group,levels of ALT,AST,TBIL in the serum of cirrhosis control group were significantly increased,while ALB decreased;the difference was statistically significant(P 0.01).Levels of ALT,AST,TBIL in the serum of cirrhosis experimental group were significantly decreased,while ALB increased;the difference was statistically significant(115.71±12.63 U/L vs 192.36±21.84 U/L;196.26±18.45 U/L vs 295.11±31.78 U/L;6.32±1.32 μmol/L vs 10.69±2.47 μmol/L;14.57±1.92g/L vs 9.90±1.27 g/L;P 0.01).Conclusion Portal vein infusion of VEGF165 can improve the liver function in rats with cirrhosis.