title: A new experimental model for acute hepatic failure in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a reliable surgical model of acute hepatic failure and hyperammonemia in rats that avoids porto-systemic shunt and bile duct ligation, applicable to hepatic encephalopathy research.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pedicles of right lateral and caudate lobes were exposed and clamped. One hour later, the animal was reopened, clamps were released and anterior subtotal hepatectomy (resection of median and left lateral lobes) was performed, comprising 75% of liver removal. Four hours after hepatectomy, blood samples and liver tissues were collected from ALF and control groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differences between ALF and control groups were significant for ALT, AST, total and direct bilirubin, sodium, potassium, alkaline phosphatasis, gamma-glutamyltransferase and most important, ammonia. Histologically, significant differences were noticed between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The model is useful for the study of specific aspects of ALF and the development of new therapeutic approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, USP, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio Roberto Franchi
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Marcel Cerqueira Cesar
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Márcia Saldanha
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kubrusly
authors.forename: Nilza Trindade
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Molan
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellodi-Privato
authors.forename: Kátia Regina
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: Luiz Augusto Carneiro
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: D'Albuquerque
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D003401:Creatine / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology; D022124:Hyperammonemia / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000641:Ammonia; D012964:Sodium; D003401:Creatine; D001663:Bilirubin; D011188:Potassium