Summary
The major cause of posthepatectomy liver dysfunction is supposed to be microcirculatory
disturbance caused by imbalance of intrasinusoidal coagulation equilibrium. Thrombomodulin
(TM) is a potent anticoagulant expressed on the endothelial cell surface that regulates
the coagulation system by binding thrombin and accelerating the thrombin-catalyzed
activation of protein C. Therefore, we examined the effect of soluble TM purified
from human urine (UTM) on intrasinusoidal coagulation in cirrhotic rats. Dimethylnitrosamine-induced
cirrhotic rats underwent 70% hepatectomy and received endotoxin 48 h after. UTM or
vehicle alone was intravenously administered to each rat 30 min before endotoxin injection.
UTM treatment attenuated the increases in cytosolic enzymes and serum hyaluronic acid
level. The UTM supply improved the survival rate of the rats at 12 h after endotoxin
challenge. Histologically, intrasinusoidal fibrin depositions and massive hepatocellular
necrosis observed in control rats were scarcely found in UTM-treated rats. Immunohistochemical
examination revealed that marked TM stains in sinusoidal endothelial cells were well
preserved in UTM-treated rats. In conclusion, UTM administration prevented intrasinusoidal
fibrin depositions and attenuated posthepatectomy liver dysfunction in cirrhotic rats.