Experiments on liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy have shown that TNF-alpha, HGF and TGF-beta 1 and other cytokines play important roles in the different stages of liver regeneration, however, the effect of portal vein arterialization (PVA) on the expressions of these cytokines during liver regeneration is not clear. Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into the PVA group and control groups, and blood was collected for the detection of ALT using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The expressions of TNF-alpha, HGF and TGF-beta 1 in liver tissues were detected by quantitative RT-PCR. The ALT levels in both groups in the early period after surgery were significantly higher than those before operation, and gradually returned to normal at 7 days after surgery. At 12 h and 24 h after operation, the TNF-alpha expression in the PVA group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), but no significant difference at 7 days after surgery was observed between the two groups. At 12 h, the HGF expression in the PVA group was similar to that in the con trol group, but significantly higher than in the control group at 24 h (P<0.05). At 24 h, the TGF-beta 1 expression in the PVA group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P <0.05), but no significant difference was found at 48 h after surgery between the two groups. The promotive effects on the portal vein arterialization at the early stage of liver regeneration were associated with the changes in the expressions of TNF-alpha, HGF and TGF-beta 1.