Oxygen measurement and arteriography in the rat and guinea pig liver after artery ligation in the liver hilus.

There are differences in biological behavior of liver in different species of animals. The most impressive and easily reproduceable examples are the different reactions of rat and guinea pigs livers: The guinea pig cannot withstand more than a few hours the interruption of the Ductus Choledochus, it cannot survive complete ligation of liver arteries plus many anastomosis. Furthermore it is unable to withstand infections in the liver and intestine after operations of the liver. The rat however can withstand ligations of the Ductus Choledochus, even for months, and is not harmed by complete dissection of liver hilus with double ligations of Arteria Hepatica Propria and Communis, including the few anastomoses. Infections of liver after laparotomias are unknown in rats. To study these differences the Po 2 values of liver were measured and checked against angiographies and biological tests. In dearterialised rat liver the reduced Po 2 values and biological tests rose parallel with the reaterialisation for weeks. In guinea pigs the Po 2 values were not lower than in the rats in the short surviving time measured. The Po 2 reduction seems in both species the same. The rat liver is able to adapt -, the liver of guinea pig is not.