[Acute experimental hepatic insufficiency in pigs. Validity of a model with biohumoral and electroencephalographic monitoring].

Effectiveness of surgically induced acute hepatic failure in pig and most suitable time to apply artificial support in hepatic coma are evaluated in this work. Five male pigs weighing about 30-35 kg are employed. Latero-lateral porto-caval shunt was performed; the vascular disconnection of liver was obtained by ligature of blood vessels. Ligature was also placed on main biliary way after cholecistectomy. Blood samples were obtained (at 0, 1, 2, 6, 12, 18, 24 hours) to essay serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and GOT-GPT levels as index of cholestasis and necrosis. Porto-caval encephalopathy was evaluated by means of serum ammonium levels, aminoacid pattern and E.E.G. Serum aminoacid pattern was carefully determined; its changes were found similar in man during coma. All pigs died 24-36 hours after surgery with liver ischemic and necrosis. Clinical and laboratory data obtained in experimental conditions were found similar to picture of acute hepatic failure in man, confirming validity of our model.