Hepatic vein catheterization: a new technique in rats.

Blood samples taken directly from the hepatic veins are often required for evaluation of liver function or ischemia/reperfusion injury and for direct determination of metabolic products of the liver. In the rat, blood samples are usually obtained by direct puncture of the hepatic veins. Successful catheterization of these small vessels is only possible under direct vision because great dexterity is needed to persuade the catheter to enter the hepatic vein. In this report a procedure for hepatic vein catheterization under direct vision is described in the rat. After performing a median laparotomy, a flexible catheter (Buchbinder, 3.0 F/1 mm, as used in cardiology) with a bent end is inserted into the infrahepatic vena cava. Under direct vision through the thin walls of the inferior vena cava the bent end of the catheter is slowly pushed up until the tip slides into a hepatic vein, which opens into the inferior vena cava at a right angle. Selective catheterization of the desired hepatic vein is possible by rotating the catheter and changing the position of its tip. This is a reliable new technique of hepatic vein catheterization in rats, by which blood samples can be collected directly from the hepatic veins.