title: An isolated dual-perfused rabbit liver preparation for the study of hepatic blood flow regulation.
abstract: An original, isolated dual-perfused rabbit liver preparation was developed for investigations into mechanisms that control the hepatic vascular tone. The hepatic artery (HA) and portal vein (PV) were perfused at constant flows of 0.16 +/- 0.01 and 0.64 +/- 0.05 mL/g/min (n = 5), respectively. Responses of the hepatic arterial and portal venous vascular beds to noradrenaline (NA) were measured as changes in perfusion pressure. Noradrenaline injected directly into the hepatic artery and portal vein produced dose-dependent increases in pressure in the respective vascular beds, the maximum response in the hepatic arterial bed being two to three times greater than that in the portal venous bed. A restricted transmission of vasoconstrictor stimulus between the intrahepatic portal venous and hepatic arterial vasculature was demonstrated. The results demonstrate the suitability of the dual-perfused rabbit liver model for detailed studies of the control of hepatic vascular tone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, Great Britain.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Mathie
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ralevic
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burnstock
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008954:Models, Biological; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010477:Perfusion / Q000379:methods; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009638:Norepinephrine