[Experimental study of orthotopic liver transplantation in dog--with reference to change of hepatic function, serum insulin, glucagon, c-AMP after liver transplantation and the viability of the graft].

The viability of the graft after liver transplantation is considered to be expressed as the sum of the hepatocellular activity by re-flowing of the hepatic blood flow after transplantation and the hepatocellular injury derived from the cold ischemia of the liver which is indispensable for transplantation. In order to elucidate the hepatocellular injury in ischemic liver graft cold ischemic liver model without hepatectomy was prepared and liver functions, serum insulin, glucagon and cyclic AMP after glucagon loading were measured. The following results were obtained. 1) Influence of anoxia due to ischemia of the liver expressed by s-GOT, disappeared 2 days after operation but it lasted for long time by s-GPT. Re-elevation of s-GOT, s-GPT observed after 2 days or more was considered to be derived from the hepatocellular necrosis due to rejection. Incidentally, Al-phosphatase was useful for judging the rejection, but s-total bilirubin, s-total cholesterol and albumin were considered to be not useful as parameters for evaluating the viability of the graft. 2) The rejection and the hepatocellular necrosis had not influence on serum insulin, but serum glucagon corresponded to the hepatocellular necrosis and was useful index for the judgment of the hepatocellular damage in the graft. 3) The level of c-AMP after glucagon loading and the c-AMP response corresponded very well to the hepatocellular activity of the graft, and they were considered to be useful indices for evaluating the viability of the graft.