Figure 2

The porcine model of liver regeneration with liver-derived ECM scaffolds. (a) Showing the procedures of grafting DC liver scaffolds. Control lobes were partially hepatectomized without suturing any scaffolds. Illustration by Yoshihiko Tsuda. Printed with permission by Yoshihiko Tsuda under a CC BY open access license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) (b), whereas, for the treatment lobes, the partial liver scaffolds were sutured onto the surfaces of similarly sized, partially hepatectomized porcine livers, completely covering the cut area (c). Animals were sacrificed 1, 10 and 28 days after surgery. (h,j,l,n) Mild adhesion to the peritoneum and omentum was observed around the resection or sutured scaffold site on days 10 and 28 after surgery. (f,g) The scaffolds retained their original structural features and the borderline between the native liver and the scaffold was clearly visible macroscopically. (j,k) The borderline had become less clear and macroscopic regrowth of liver tissue into the sutured acellular scaffold was seen. (n,o) Macroscopically, the volume of the sutured scaffold looked smaller and the parenchymal space of the scaffold had become slightly aggregated.