Objective: Liver is the largest solid organ in the body having major roles in metabolic functions. Control of the hepatic regenaration is an important step in modern surgery. Growth hormone has a positive effect on cellular and extracellular growth and volume of the liver. Ghrelin has effects on hormone release and energy metabolism and appetite regulation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of ghrelin on hepatic regenaration.

Material and Method: Thirty Wistar Albino rats were used in this study. Partial hepatectomy was performed to rats, and serum saline was given intraperitoneally to Group I (n=15) rats, ghrelin to group II (n=15) rats. Group II was divided to subgroups containing 5 rats in each group according to postoperative time, 24 hours, 48 hours and 7 days respectively. Under general anesthesia rats were decapitised and serum samples were taken to detect AST, ALT, ALP, GGT, ghrelin, growth hormone and PTT. After relaparotomi livers were examined for ghrelin levels and Ki-67 expressions.

Results: When Group II was compared with Group I the morphological and biochemical parameters, relative liver weight, AST, ALT, ALP, GGT, albumin, PTT, acile and deacile tissue ghrelin levels were significantly different in Group II (p<0,05). But the Ki-67 and growth hormone levels were not signifacantly high in Group II (p>0,05)

Conclusion: We concluded that the indirect markers of hepatic regeneration with ghrelin were positively correlated but the direct signs of the regeneration were not significantly related. This effect was atributed to the antiproliferative effect of ghrelin. In this study we concluded that ghrelin was not effective on hepatic regenaration.