Establishment and evaluation of the system of extracorporeal liver perfusion in pigs

In recent years, extracorporeal liver perfusion (ECLP) has been regarded as a treatment of acute liver failure (ALF); but the system of ECLP has many problems. The purpose of this experiment was to detect the factors affecting the system of ECLP and to establish a stable and effective system of ECLP.

Livers were harvested from health pigs, according to the different styles of perfusion and oxygenation, which were randomly divided into 3 groups. The livers in group A (n=4) were subjected to single portal vein perfusion, oxygenating perfusion blood; the livers in group B (n=4) to dual (portal vein and hepatic artery) vessel perfusion, oxygenating blood, together; and the livers in group C (n=4) to dual (portal vein and hepatic artery) vessel perfusion, but oxygenating blood, separately. The perfusion time, the data of bile production, and hemodynamic parameters of extracorporeal livers in each group were tested. The histological examination of liver tissues from each group was performed at the end of perfusion.

The perfusion time of the liver in group A is significantly shorter than in groups B and C (P<0.05). At 1, 3, 6 hours after perfusion, the data of bile production and hemodynamic parameters of livers in group A were statistically different from those of livers in groups B and C (P<0.05). At 1, 3, 6 hours after perfusion, the data of group B were not statistically different from those of livers in group C (P>0.05). But at 12 hours after perfusion, the data of group B were statistically different from those of livers in group C (P<0.01).

The system of ECLP, which is performed by dual (portal vein and hepatic artery) vessel perfusion and oxygenating blood separately, is more stable and effective to keep the function of extracorporeal liver.