[Significance of cross-circulation on obstructive jaundice in rats with special reference to the mitochondrial function of the liver and kidney].

Cross-circulation was performed to investigate the mitochondrial respiratory function of the liver and kidney in rats after 1, 2 and 3 weeks of biliary obstruction. Serum bilirubin and total bile acids concentration in blood in rats with biliary obstruction markedly decreased with 3 hours cross-circulation. There demonstrated, however, no significant change in mitochondrial function in the liver after cross-circulation. In contrast, mitochondrial function in the kidney showed significant improvement after 3 hours cross-circulation. Mitochondrial respiratory function in normal partner rats cross-circulation with jaundiced rats demonstrated temporal deterioration in the kidney and prolonged deterioration in the liver. It can be concluded that cross-circulation or plasma exchange might be useful for the prevention of renal failure in obstructive jaundice, since cross-circulation induced persistent improvement of the mitochondrial respiratory function in the kidney deteriorated by biliary obstruction.