title: Assessment and histological analysis of the IPRL technique for sequential in situ liver biopsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The isolated perfused rat liver (IPRL) is a technique used in a wide range of liver studies. Typically livers are assessed at treatment end point. Techniques have been described to biopsy liver in the live rat and post-hepatectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This paper describes a technique for obtaining two full and one partial lobe biopsies from the liver in situ during an IPRL experiment. Our approach of retaining the liver in situ assists in minimising liver capsule damage, and consequent leakage of perfusate, maintains the normal anatomical position of the liver during perfusion and helps to keep the liver warm and moist. Histological results from sequential lobe biopsies in control perfusions show that cytoplasmic vacuolation of hepatocytes is a sign of liver deterioration, and when it occurs it commences as a diffuse pattern which tends to develop a circumscribed, centrilobular pattern as perfusion progresses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Liver lobe biopsies obtained using this method can be used to study temporal effects of drug treatments and are suitable for light and electron microscopy, and biochemical analyses.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. pharmacy.dean@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Azmena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Braet
authors.forename: Iqbal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ramzan