Electromagnetic thermoablation to treat thrombocytopenia in cirrhotic and hypersplenic rats

Background and Aim: Thrombocytopenia due to hypersplenism is usually a serious condition in cirrhotic patients who have undergone invasive procedures. We designed a new treatment method using a high-frequency alternating electromagnetic force to treat the disease condition in a rat model. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were given thioacetamide in drinking water and injected with methylcellulose intraperitoneally to create a cirrhotic hypersplenism model. Spleen volume was determined using the Carlson method. The Control Group consisted of 14 rats, 15 weeks old, that were used to determine the normal platelet count and normal spleen size. Experimental Group I, consisting of 15 rats, received electromagnetic thermoablation of their spleens, after which the spleen was returned to the abdomen. Group II consisted of 13 rats, receiving the same electromagnetic thermoablation as Group I, but the ablated portion was removed. Group III consisted of 14 rats receiving total splenectomies. Results: Cirrhotic hypersplenism was confirmed during laparotomy and pathological examination. Spleen volume enlarged from 1513 ± 375 mm³ (Control Group) to 7943 ± 2822 mm³ (experimental groups). Platelet counts increased from 0.35 ± 0.21 × 10⁶/mm ³ to 0.87 ± 0.24 × 10⁶/mm³ for Group I, from 0.52 ± 0.23 × 10⁶/mm³ to 1.10 ± 0.20 × 10⁶/mm³ for Group II, and from 0.47 ± 0.23 × 10⁶/mm³ to 1.18 ± 0.26 × 10⁶/mm³ for Group III. No rats died due to the treatment in any of the experimental groups. Conclusions: Our animal model performed successfully and our proposed electromagnetic thermotherapy effectively treated thrombocytopenia due to cirrhotic hypersplenism. © 2010 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.