title: A novel in situ model of liver cold ischemia-reperfusion in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is being used for studying cold ischemia reperfusion (I/R)-induced injury in experimental animals, but the technique is complicated and it does not accurately reflect the pathophysiology. Here, we report a novel model, termed "in situ liver cold ischemia (ISLCI)", in Wistar rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  ISLCI was achieved in rats by establishing a portal-jugular shunt and a cannula shunt in inferior vena cava, and the liver was continuously perfused with lactate Ringer's solution at a speed of 150 mL/h through the portal vein for 60 min. Portal venous pressure, serum levels of total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and hepatic histopathology were examined, and compared with rats undergoing OLT, in which the donor liver was subjected to a 60 min cold ischemia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Livers from ISLCI and OLT rats showed histopathologic changes characteristic of I/R-induced injury when examined on days 1 and 7, with complete recovery 14 d after reperfusion. Compared with OLT rats, ISLCI rats had significantly lower levels of portal venous pressure 1 and 10 min after porta hepatis clamping. They suffered a milder degree of I/R-induced hepatic injury, reflected by significantly lower levels of GGT, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase on day 1, and a significant lower level of GGT and a lower histopathologic score on day 7 after reperfusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary results indicate that the ISLCI model is reliable and technically easier, and is superior to OLT for studying cold I/R injury.
authors: Department of General Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, China.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Li
authors: Department of General Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, China.
authors: Yuetang
authors: Y
authors: Mi
authors: Department of General Surgery, The Hepatosplenic Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors: Gang
authors: G
authors: Tan
authors: Department of General Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of General Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, China.
authors: Guixia
authors: G
authors: Li
authors: Department of General Surgery, The Hepatosplenic Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. Electronic address: kevsun88@hotmail.com.
authors: Xueying
authors: X
authors: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002496:Central Venous Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D050377:Cold Ischemia / Q000379:methods*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000502:physiology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000502:physiology; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Cold ischemia reperfusion; In situ liver cold ischemia; Liver; Orthotopic liver transplant; Rats