A morphometric and ultrastructural study of the long term effect of portacaval anastomosis on the liver of normal male rats.

A morphometric analysis of the lobular components of the liver of normal male rats up to 6 months from portacaval anastomosis revealed that the mean volume of each hepatocyte decreased about 30-40% in normally fed rats and this was associated with a shrinkage of the lobular tissue. A 10% reduction of the total hepatocyte volume density in the lobule and a net increase in time of the fat storing cell volume density could be measured, whereas the intralobular collagen decreased. Within the hepatocytes a persistent significant increase of fat globules was observed; an increase in the first period, followed by a decrease of the lysosomal component. The Golgi complex tended to decrease in the first period, then exhibited a volume density even higher than in the controls. A small reduction of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and a conspicuous reduction of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and, in fed animals, of the glycogen content were also observed. These alterations were persistent with periods of up to 6 months from the anastomosis and were present in all the functionally distinct lobular zones. From the ultrastructural point of view, apart from variations due to the quantitative changes described above, both lobular and hepatocytic components were identical to those of age matched controls at all times from the intervention. The ultrastructural damages described by others could not be observed.