Surgically induced acute hepatic failure in the rat.

Several surgical procedures were tested in the rat in order to create a spontaneously lethal but potentially reversible acute hepatic failure. Two combined surgical procedures fulfill these conditions: '75% hepatectomy' plus portacaval shunt and '85% hepatectomy' plus 30-min clamping of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries. These two procedures should constitute useful tools for the evaluation of new methods of hepatic support.