High mortality and limited regenerative response in a rabbit model of major hepatectomy with platelet-rich plasma injection

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Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been proposed to enhance liver regeneration, but its effects remain inconsistent across experimental models. This study evaluated whether autologous PRP promotes hepatic regeneration after major hepatectomy in rabbits and assessed the feasibility of this experimental approach.Methods: Twenty-one male New Zealand white rabbits underwent major hepatectomy and received saline (control) or PRP via portal vein or subcutaneous injection. Survival, pre- and postoperative laboratory results, regenerated liver weight, biochemical markers, and histologic features were compared.Results: Overall survival was 42%. Portal vein injection resulted in significantly higher mortality than subcutaneous injection (66% vs. 33%; p=0.050). Regenerated liver weight (approximately 60–70 g) and the graft-to-body weight ratio did not differ between groups. One PRP-treated rabbit demonstrated pronounced hepatic plate thickening, but overall regenerative markers showed no significant benefit. PRP preparations displayed variable leukocyte content.Conclusions: PRP did not provide a measurable regenerative advantage in this rabbit major hepatectomy model. The high mortality and heterogeneous PRP composition emphasize the need for safer experimental designs and standardized PRP preparations to accurately assess its regenerative capacity.