AIM:To evaluate whether cell apoptosis and regenerationwere existed in normal liver cells adjacent to carcinomaafter transarterial chemoembolization(TACE).METHODS:Fifty rabbits with hepatic carcinoma weredivided into 5 groups at random:group A(control group),groups B and C(TACE treatment groups),groups D and E(partial hepatectomy groups).There were 10 rabbits ineach group.Rabbits in groups B-E were treated by transarterialchemoembolization(TACE)and partial hepatectomy(PH)respectively.The changes of S-phase cell fraction(SPF),proliferation index(PI)and cell apoptosis in the normal livertissue were determined with flow cytometry(FCM)afteroperations on the first and third days.We determined themitosis index(MI)with histo-pathological method and theapeptosis index(AI)with TUNEL method at the same time.RESULTS:Twenty-four hours after operations,comparedwith control group,the rabbits in TACE group had muchhigher index of SPF,PI and MI(MI:t=4.89,P<0.001;SPF:t=5.27,P<0.001;PI:t=4.87,P<0.001).Moreover,theproliferation of liver cells in TACE group was much weakerthan that of the cells treated by partial hepatectomy,andthe differences were significant(MI:t=7.02,P<0.001;SPF:t=4.06,P<0.001;PI:t=2.70,P<0.05).Seventy-two h afteroperations,FCM showed a small sub-G1 peak in TACEgroup and PH group,compared with the control group,butthere was no difference between them(t=0.41,P>0.05).TACE showed that AI in the treated rabbits was higherthan that in control group(t=3.07,P<0.05),and there wereno differences between TACE group and PH group,either(t=0.93,P>0.05).CONCLUSION:Cell apoptosis and regeneration exist inrabbit liver tissues after TACE in some degree,which maybe associated with the selective embolization of iodisedoil,chemotherapeutic drug and free radical damage. AIM: To evaluate whether cell apoptosis and regeneration were existed in normal liver cells adjacent to carcinoma after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). METHODS: Fifty rabbits with hepatic carcinoma weredivided into 5 groups at random: group A (control group), groups B and C (TACE treatment groups), groups D and E (partial hepatectomy groups). There were 10 rabbits ineach group. Rabbits in groups BE were treated by transarterial chemotherapy (TACE) and partial hepatectomy (PH) respectively. The changes of S-phase cell fraction ), proliferation index (PI) and cell apoptosis in the normal livertissue were determined with flow cytometry (FCM) after operations on the first and third days. We determined themitosis index (MI) with histo-pathological method and theapeptosis index (AI) with TUNEL method at the same time .RESULTS: Twenty-four hours after operations, comparedwith control group, the rabbits in TACE group had muchhigher index of SPF, PI and MI (MI: t = 4.89, P <0.001; SPF: P <0.001; PI: t = 4.87, P <0.001) oreover, the proliferation of liver cells in TACE group was much weakerthan that of the cells treated by partial hepatectomy, and the differences were significant (MI: t = 7.02, PO.001; SPF: t = 4.06, 2.70, P <0.05) .Seventy-two h afteroperations, FCM showed a small sub-G1 peak in TACEgroup and PH group, compared with the control group, but with no difference between them (t = 0.41, P> 0.05) showed that AI in the treated rabbits was higherthan that in control group (t = 3.07, P <0.05), and there wereno differences between TACE group and PH group, either (t = 0.93, P> 0.05) regeneration exist inrabbit liver tissues after TACE in some degree, which maybe associated with the selective embolization of iodisedoil, chemotherapeutic drug and free radical damage.