Strength exercises, such as weightlifting, can increase the volume of the liver in people who, due to the insufficient size of this organ, cannot donate its fragment, according to a study by Indian scientists.
Researchers at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi reported this at the 21st Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) conference, which ended on Sunday in Bangkok, Thailand.
Liver transplantation is the only salvation, incl. for patients who develop cirrhosis or cancer of this organ, for example from hepatitis B or C or alcohol abuse. Other causes include fulminant liver failure due to drug poisoning such as paracetamol or toadstool toxin, or cirrhosis associated with metabolic disease or autoimmune hepatitis.
For over 20 years, transplants of a fragment of the liver from relatives have been performed in the world. This allowed to significantly enlarge the pool of donors of this organ. The most common left flap or its fragment is transplanted, constituting from 25 to 40 percent. donor liver volume. This is possible for two reasons. Firstly, the liver has great regenerative capacity, and secondly, a person can live with half of this organ (and sometimes with a smaller fragment).
In practice, however, from 20 to 80 percent. potential liver donors are disqualified for various reasons, e.g. health (previous viral liver infections, HIV infection) or insufficient liver volume. The grafted fragment should be of a certain weight as it may not be sufficient to keep the recipient alive.
Researchers from India conducted an experiment on two patients who could potentially become donors for patients with cirrhosis of the liver. However, they had too small the volume of this organ to give a fragment of it. The weight of the liver of an average adult patient is approximately 1,5 kg.
For 6 weeks, the subjects underwent moderate strength training under the supervision of an instructor and followed a special diet.
Finally, they found that liver volume increased by 341 grams (about 43 percent) in one donor and by 393 grams (nearly 36 percent) in the other.
From each of them it was possible to take the right lobe so that the liver remains were sufficient and the grafted fragment was large enough not to pose a risk to the recipient.
There were no complications during the operation.
According to the authors of the study, this indicates that a training-supervised program of strength training may be a good way to increase the liver volume in potential donors and expand the pool of potential donors.
Joanna Morga (PAP)