Metabolic effects of long-term arterialization of portal blood.

In nine splenectomized male dogs a splenic artery, -splenic vein shunt was made. Before splenectomy and 3, 6 and 18 months after arterialization of portal blood, different metabolic and endocrine parameters were estimated. Long-term arterialization of portal blood was followed by only insignificant increase of portal vein pressure but a significant drop of pCO2 and increase of pO2 in portal blood was recorded. Simultaneously, a significant decrease of the erythrocyte count, hematocrit value, serum cholesterol and uric acid levels, and a shortening of the T1/2 of insulin and glucagon were found. In contrast, long-term arterialization of portal blood was followed by a significant increase of serum triglycerides, alpha2-globulins, plasma renin activity, cortisol, gastrin and 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and by slight carbohydrate intolerance. No morphological abnormalities in the liver and kidney tissue were found. Data presented in this paper suggest usefulness of a splenic artery-splenic vein shunt in the treatment of some metabolic disorders and of the failing hepatocytes.