EFFECT OF BILE OBSTRUCTION ON LIVER-REGENERATION FOLLOWING MAJOR HEPATECTOMY - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY IN THE RAT

The regeneration of the liver following resection is regulated by a va riety of factors and it might be expected that jaundice influences the process. We therefore evaluated the regenerative response to major he patectomy in bile-obstructed rats. Two weeks after ligation of the com mon bile duct, a standardized 77% hepatectomy was undertaken. The jaun diced animals showed an augmented liver regeneration compared to nonja undiced individuals (p < 0.01). However, blood clearance of radiolabel led Escherichia coli bacteria was impaired (p < 0.01) in animals with bile obstruction at 7 days after the hepatectomy, accompanied by reduc ed bacterial uptake in the liver as a sign of impaired reticuloendothe lial system function.