Resistance of hepatic tissues to local anemia

Abstract

If a temporary renal anemia of two hours' duration is produced by placing a ligature about the renal artery of a rabbit, and the rabbit is killed from one to four days later, histological study will invariably show necrosis of practically the entire cortical tubular epithelium, with few if any changes in the glomerular and interstitial elements. This method of producing epithelial necrosis, with the minimum amount of injury to other elements, is now being used in this laboratory for a study of epithelial regeneration and the pathology of renal excretion.

As a preliminary to a similar study of hepatic function and regeneration, tests were made of the effects of temporary local anemia on the liver of dogs. To produce this anemia, Eck fistulas were made. From five to seven weeks later the abdomen of each dog was reopened, and temporary ligatures placed about the hepatic artery and portal vein. The ligatures were kept in place for from three to twelve hours. The animals were killed from two to six days later.

During the period of ligation, the dogs showed no toxic symptoms. After the release of the ligatures they were in every way apparently normal till the date of the autopsy. The following is a summary of the histological findings :

(a) Three hour anemias: No thrombosis. No necrosis or atrophy of the hepatic parenchyma. Moderate degree of fatty degeneration, mainly confined to the central third of the lobule.

(b) Twelve hour anemias: No thrombosis. No necrosis. Marked fatty degeneration of the central half of the lobule, with slight atrophy of the parenchyma immediately surrounding the central vein.

From these findings we conclude that the almost total anemia produced by temporary ligation of the hepatic artery and portal vein in Eck fistula dogs, for periods as long as twelve hours, does not cause necrosis of the hepatic parenchyma.