Efficacy of coupled low-volume plasma exchange with plasma filtration adsorption in treating pigs with acute liver failure: A randomised study

Background & Aims: Extracorporeal blood purification systems for supportive therapy of liver failure are widely used. We developed a novel blood purification system, named Li's artificial liver system (Li-ALS), which couples low-volume plasma exchange (low-volume PE) with plasma filtration adsorption (PFA). This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of our novel system in pigs with acute liver failure (ALF). Methods: Thirty-two pigs were infused with D-galactosamine (1.3 g/kg) to induce ALF. All animals were equally and randomly divided into four groups: the ALF control group received intensive care, the PFA group underwent five hour plasma recycling filtration and adsorption purification, the low-volume PE group received one hour low-volume PE, and the Li-ALS group underwent one hour low-volume PE, followed by five hour PFA. Intervention was initiated 36 hours after drug administration. The efficacy of each treatment was assessed by survival time and improvement in hematological, biochemical, and immunohistological parameters. Results: Pigs in the Li-ALS group survived longer than those in the other groups (p < 0.001, ALF control: 60 +/- 2 h; PFA group: 74 +/- 2 h; low-volume PE group: 75 +/- 2 h; and Li-ALS group: 90 +/- 3 h). Liver enzyme, bilirubin, bile acid and blood ammonia levels were decreased significantly after Li-ALS treatment, and increases in inflammatory cytokines were ameliorated. A higher hepatocyte regeneration index was also observed in the Li-ALS group. Conclusion: Our novel Li-ALS could expedite liver regeneration and improve survival time; hence, it could be promising for treating ALF. (C) 2015 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.