NEW TECHNIQUE FOR INDUCING REVERSIBLE OBSTRUCTIVE-JAUNDICE IN THE RAT

We present a new animal model of reversible obstructive jaundice, in w hich two polyethylene tubes were inserted into the common bile duct, o ne towards the liver and the other towards the duodenum. The ends of t he tubes were tunneled subcutaneously and tied shut to establish obstr uctive jaundice. Biliary drainage was achieved without a second laparo tomy by connecting the tubes with a 1-cm segment of a 24-gauge needle. Serum concentrations of total bilirubin (TB), glutamic oxaloacetic tr ansaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), alkaline phosph atase (ALP), and albumin (Alb.) were measured before and after obstruc tion and decompression. TB, GOT, GPT and ALP increased and Alb. decrea sed 7 days after the onset of biliary obstruction. All values normaliz ed 14 days after biliary drainage at the latest. Our model is reproduc ible and allows for evaluation of biliary decompression. Unlike previo us models, it can be used for long-term investigation of chronic obstr uctive jaundice.