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Haemodynamic and ultrastructural observations on the rat liver after two-thirds partial hepatectomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 1998

EUGENIO MORSIANI
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, University of Ferrara School of Medicine, Arcispedale Sant'Anna, Ferrara, Italy
ARRIGO ALEOTTI
Affiliation:
Centre of Electron Microscopy, University of Ferrara School of Medicine, Arcispedale Sant'Anna, Ferrara, Italy
DANIELE RICCI
Affiliation:
Department of Human Anatomy, University of Ferrara School of Medicine, Arcispedale Sant'Anna, Ferrara, Italy
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Abstract

Rat liver ultrastructure was investigated after partial hepatectomy (PH), by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Portal pressure was monitored before and after PH and, after killing performed at 6, 12, 24, 48 h and 10 d, regenerating livers were fixed by portal vein perfusion under haemodynamic conditions identical to those existing in vivo. An early and persistent increase in portal pressure after PH was found (P<0.01 for normal vs sham-operated controls). Ultrastructural study showed sinusoid dilatation and disappearance of the sieve-plate arrangement of small endothelial pores, thus leaving the parenchymal liver cell surface directly exposed to portal blood. Widening of sinusoids, endothelial fenestrations, intercellular spaces and spaces of Disse, was accompanied by dilatation of bile canaliculi. At 10 d, liver ultrastructure had returned to normal. Our observations suggest that a rise in portal pressure, as a consequence of PH, may be related to the observed ultrastructural changes in the liver.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1998

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Footnotes

Presented in abstract form at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases-Single Topic Symposium, Liver Microcirculation in Health and Diseases, June 21–24, 1996, Reston, VA, USA.