Impact of ischemia-reperfusion injury on dimensional changes of hepatic microvessels.
Dimensional alteration of hepatic microvessels was demonstrated during reperfusion after normothermic hepatic ischemia. Using a specially designed cover glass, it was possible to relocate selected sites of observation and microvessels repeatedly throughout the whole reperfusion time. Twenty minutes of hepatic ischemia resulted in a decrease of sinusoidal diameter (mean +/- SEM; 10.0 +/- 0.3 microns at baseline, 8.2 +/- 0.2 microns after ischemia) and diameter of postsinusoidal venules (26.4 +/- 1.2 at baseline, 23.0 +/- 1.0 after ischemia). In the control group (no ischemia induced) no changes of these parameters were observed. Thus, the reduction of hepatic microvascular cross section was present during the early phase of reperfusion. Hepatic dysfunction was characterized by increased serum activity of liver enzymes and reduction of bile flow in the ischemia-exposed animals. It has been suggested that postischemic dimensional microvascular changes are involved in postischemic liver dysfunction.
Institute for Surgical Research, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Germany. kondo@icf.med.uni-muenchen.de
T
T
Kondo
T
T
Todoroki
T
T
Hirano
F W
FW
Schildberg
K
K
Messmer
D000818:Animals; D019044:Image Cytometry; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011168:Portal System / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology*