Hepatic functional deterioration after portacaval shunt in the rat. Effects on sulfobromophthalein transport-maximum, indocyanine green clearance and galactose elimination capacity.

The consequences of a portacaval shunt on liver function were studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Fourteen days after an end-to-side portacaval anastomosis the galactose elimination capacity and the plasma clearance of indocyanine green were reduced in proportion to the approximately 50% loss in liver mass. The biliary transport maximum for sulfobromophthalein, on the other hand, decreased by almost 70% from 153 to 52 nmoles per min per min per 100 g after portacaval anastomosis. This reduction of sulfobromophthalein excretion was accompained by a significant decrease in the hepatic conjugation of the dye to glutathione. Our findings demonstrate that a quantitative and qualitative functional deterioration of previously normal livers results from portal blood deprivation.