Effect of a parenteral nucleoside-nucleotide mixture on hepatic metabolism in partially hepatectomized cirrhotic rats

After hepatectomy, purine and pyrimidine metabolism is a key process in synthesis of DNA and RNA and in energy metabolism. To supply nucleosides for salvage synthesis, nucleoside-nucleotide mixture solutions have been developed, and they have been found to improve protein metabolism and hepatic regeneration after partial hepatectomy in normal rats. However, the effect of the solution in cirrhotic liver, common in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, has not been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the metabolic effect of the nucleoside-nucleotide mixture on cirrhotic rats after partial hepatectomy. Seventy percent partial hepatectomy was performed in thioacetamide-administered cirrhotic rats. The fractional protein synthetic rate, nitrogen balance, hepatic content of nucleic acid, and blood chemistry after the administration of the nucleoside-nucleotide mixture solution (OG-VI) with total parenteral nutrition was evaluated at 7 d after partial hepatectomy. OG-VI increased hepatic RNA level and hepatic fractional protein synthetic rate (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the nucleoside-nucleotide mixture solution is an effective nutritional supplement to the metabolism of cirrhotic rats after partial hepatectomy.