A NEW MODEL FOR INDUCING TOTAL HEPATIC ISCHEMIA WHILE PREVENTING CIRCULATORY COLLAPSE SECONDARY TO SPLANCHNIC VASCULAR CONGESTION

Animal models used to study liver ischemia are limited by the lethal e ffect of splanchnic venous engorgement from portal triad occlusion (PT O). We compared a passive porto-systemic shunt (PSS) to a pump-driven PSS. The passive and pumped PSS groups (n = 6) received 60 min of PTO followed by 2 h of reperfusion. A control group received all intervent ions, but no PTO, and remained stable throughout. During PTO, severe c irculatory shock with intestinal ischemia occurred in the passive grou p, while the pumped group remained stable. During reperfusion, both sh unted groups experienced varying degrees of metabolic acidosis with de creases in cardiac index, stroke volume, superior mesenteric artery fl ow, and increases in systemic and intestinal vascular resistance. The mortality rate for the passive group was 83% vs. 0% for the pumped gro up. These results suggest that pumped PSS prevents splanchnic engorgem ent and allows for reproducible, isolated total hepatic ischemia in vi vo.