Eliminating metabolic disturbances caused by portacaval shunting in
rats by restoring normal pattern of blood flow to the liver.
Hawkins, Paul A., Mary R. Dejoseph, 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 3:0030E, 1996.
Portacaval shunting causes a variety of anatomic, metabolic and
physiologic changes. However, it has not been determined whether, and
to what degree, these changes are permanent after a sustained period
of shunting. Three groups of rats were prepared to study the recovery
process. One group had side-to-side shunts for 3 weeks, one group had
side-to-side shunts for 2 weeks followed by the restoration of normal
liver circulation for 1 week, and one group (control) had sham
operations. Side-to side shunting causes liver atrophy, increased
plasma ammonia, altered plasma and brain amino acid spectra,
decreased plasma glucose, and increased transport of neutral amino
acids across the blood-brain barrier. After restoring the normal
pattern of liver circulation by repairing the shunt, the liver
regained its normal size within 1 day. All abnormalities associated
with liver dysfunction disappeared, with the exception of plasma
glucose, which remained about 15% lower than control values.
Received 13 November 1995; accepted in final form 12 January
1996.
APS Manuscript Number E539-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 8 February 96