Experimental study of the effects of absorbable gelatin sponge and non‑absorbable polyvinyl alcohol particle material used in transcatheter arterial embolization on liver tissues

Hepatic trauma is a leading cause of death in major abdominal trauma, and transcatheter arterial embolization has been widely used to treat it. However, there is limited research on whether absorbable gelatin sponge (AGS) and non-absorbable polyvinyl alcohol particles (PVA) have different effects on liver tissue, making it an important area of exploration. The present study investigated this issue using animal experiments by performing transhepatic arterial embolization with AGS and PVA. The effects on normal liver tissue in rabbits were examined by detecting liver function and inflammatory indexes, conducting histopathological examination, and using western blotting to detect apoptotic proteins. There were significant differences between the AGS and PVA groups after embolization. The AGS group exhibited a trend of improvement at ~1 week after embolization, and all indicators were statistically different until day 21 compared with the PVA group. The AGS group exhibited improved repair of hepatocytes and the biliary system based on H&E staining, while the PVA group exhibited more severe necrosis of the hepatocytes and biliary system around the embolization site. The western blotting results indicated that the Bcl-2/Bax ratio decreased on day 1 and day 3, and then rebounded in the AGS group on days 7 and 21, demonstrating gradual repair of hepatocytes compared with the PVA group.