Effects of biliary drainage in obstructive jaundice on microcirculation, phagocytic activity, and ultrastructure of the liver in rats.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Biliary drainage before surgery for obstructive jaundice has been thought to be indispensable, because these patients tend to develop various complications after the surgery. We developed jaundiced rat models, and studied the effects of biliary drainage on the hepatic blood flow rate, portal pressure, and phagocytic activity.

METHODS

We generated rats with obstructive jaundice by surgical ligation followed by cutting of the common bile duct; some jaundiced rats then underwent biliary drainage. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was intraperitoneally administered to some rats. Control rats underwent open abdominal surgery alone. Ultrastructural changes of the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells were examined by scanning electron microscopy.

RESULTS

The hepatic blood flow rate and phagocytic activity in the jaundiced rats and the LPS-treated jaundiced rats were lower than those in the control rats. Biliary drainage improved the hepatic blood flow rate in both the jaundiced rats and the LPS-treated jaundiced rats to the control levels. Scanning electron microscopic observation of the liver sinusoids showed that, in the jaundiced rats, the endothelial cells were hypertrophic and there was a reduced number of fenestrae. In jaundiced rats that underwent biliary drainage, the hypertrophy was reduced, and the number of fenestrae was increased in comparison with those in the jaundiced rats without the drainage.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that biliary drainage was effective in jaundiced and LPS-treated jaundiced rats.