OBJECTIVEThe predictive value of postoperative hepatic function evaluated by liver functional imaging combined with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) technique was appraised in the present study.

METHODSTwenty New Zealand white rabbits were divided randomly into two groups, including the Hepatic Fibrosis with Carcinoma Group (FC-Group, n = 10) and the Control Group (C-Group, n = 10). All the rabbits underwent the resection of outer-right lobe of the liver. The whole hepatic function indexes, such as HCI(5), HLI(5) and Ex(15), and the hepatic function remnant indexes, including HCI(5P), HLI(5P) and Ex(15P), were calculated by 99mTc-EHIDA liver imaging.

RESULTSEx(15) of FC-Group was lower than that of C-Group (P < 0.05). HCI(5) and HLI(5) of FC-Group had the trends to increase compared with the C-Group. Ex(15) was positively correlated with ALB, and negatively correlated with TBil and GGT (P < 0.05). HCI(5) had a positive correlation with CHE (P < 0.05), while HLI(5) had a negative correlation with A/G (P < 0.05). HLI(5P) had the negative correlation with postoperative A/G (P < 0.05), and Ex(15P) had the negative correlation with postoperative TBil and GGT (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThis study has established a method of 3-D liver function evaluation system on an animal model. Among the indexes, Ex(15) can exactly represent the whole liver function while Ex(15P) and HLI(5P) can predict the liver function after the liver resection. The results may help the future clinical use of this technique to evaluate the risk of operation.