Effect of 5-fluorouracil on liver regeneration and metabolism after partial hepatectomy in the rat

The effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on regenerating liver were studied after two thirds hepatectomy in rats. In Group I, 68% hepatectomy was performed. In Group II, 5-FU in a dose of 20 mg/kg was administered intravenously immediately after, 24 and 48 hours after the same hepatectomy. In Group III, the same amount of 5-FU was given after sham-operation. The mortality rates were 4.5% in Group I, 28.0% in Group II, and 0% in Group III. The treatment with 5-FU following hepatectomy caused not only suppression but delay of liver cell division. Histologic changes such as cellular degeneration, liver steatosis and dilatation of the sinusoidal space were marked and prolonged in the hepatectomy-5-FU group. The metabolic abnormalities in albumin, cholesterol, triglycedides, and phospholipids were further more profound in Group II compared to those in Group I. In Group III, moderate derangements in albumin, triglycerides and phospholipids were observed. The results may indicate that adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-FU or similar drugs immediately after partial hepatectomy in hepatoma patients should be performed with great care if necessary. Otherwise, it should not be carried out until hepatic regneration is almost completed.