ELIMINATING METABOLIC ABNORMALITIES OF PORTACAVAL SHUNTING BY RESTORING NORMAL LIVER BLOOD-FLOW

Portacaval shunting causes a variety of anatomic, metabolic, and physi ological changes. However, it has not been determined whether, and to what degree, these changes are permanent after a sustained period of s hunting. We prepared three groups of rats for study of the recovery pr ocess. One group had side-to-side shunts for 3 wk, one group had side- to-side shunts for 2 wk followed by the restoration of normal liver ci rculation for 1 wk, and one group (control) had sham operations. Side- to-side shunting causes liver atrophy, increased plasma ammonia, alter ed plasma and brain amino acid spectra, decreased plasma glucose, and increased transport of neutral amino acids across the blood-brain barr ier. After restoration of the normal pattern of liver circulation by s hunt repair, the liver regained its normal size within 1 day. All abno rmalities associated with liver dysfunction disappeared with the excep tion of plasma glucose, which remained similar to 15% lower than contr ol values.