Comparison of the metabolic disturbances caused by end-to-side and
by side-to-side portacaval shunts.
Hawkins, Paul A., Mary R. Dejoseph, Juan R Via, and Richard A.
Hawkins.
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Finch University of Health
Sciences/ The Chicago Medical School, 3333 Green Bay Road, North
Chicago, IL 60064-3095
APStracts 2:0468A, 1995.
Portacaval shunting causes liver atrophy, hyperammonemia and hepatic
encephalopathy. A fundamental question is whether the changes,
especially those to brain, are permanent. To answer this it is
necessary to have a model whereby a portacaval shunt can be created
for a period of time and then the normal pattern of circulation to
the liver restored at will. An end-to-side shunt, the most
extensively studied model of liver dysfunction, is permanent.
However, a side-to-side shunt can be constructed that results in a
somewhat different pattern of circulation but with the potential to
be reversed. The purpose of the present study was to compare the
severity of the metabolic disturbances caused by the two models. Rats
with an end-to-side shunt, a side-to-side shunt or sham operation
were prepared and studied after 14 to 19 days. Both models of
shunting caused the same degree of liver atrophy, hyperammonemia and
indistinguishable disturbances in the amino acid content of plasma
and brain. Furthermore, both models produced the same degree of
cerebral depression as measured by glucose consumption.
Received 7 August 1995; accepted in final form 17 October 1995.
APS Manuscript Number A865-5.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 6 November 95