Portal branch ligation in the rat. Reevaluation of a model.

The effects of portal occlusion on the liver have been differently reported in different studies. The authors therefore reevaluated a model of portal branch ligation (PBL) in the rat. Histologic appearance, DNA synthetic activity, labeling count, and mitotic index were serially evaluated in both ligated and nonligated parts of the liver after interruption of the portal flow to one fourth, one third, and two thirds of the liver mass. The authors confirmed the presence of compensatory hyperplasia induced in the nonligated liver lobe(s) by PBL, and its intensity was roughly proportional to the amount of liver tissue devoid of portal perfusion. Portal-deprived liver tissue underwent a rapid and progressive atrophy, and, by the end of the first week, the weight of this part had decreased 10-fold. By a balance between atrophy and compensatory growth, the total liver weight was maintained at the level of sham-operated animals throughout the experiment. PBL invariably resulted in early centrilobular necrosis, which occupied 15-24% of the ligated lobe(s). However, already after 4 days it was almost totally resorbed and did not appear de novo. PBL was not followed by local collateralization.