[Experimental study of endotoxemia and reticuloendothelial system in hepatectomized cirrhotic rats]

To investigate acute hepatic failure associated with endotoxemia and reticuloendothelial system (RES) in hepatectomized cirrhotic patients, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at the dose of 0.2 micrograms/100gBW was injected intravenously into the 70% hepatectomized three groups of rats as follows; LC: rats with thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis,

rats with normal liver, LC + FN: cirrhotic rats with intravenous supplementation of fibronectin. 1) The survival rates at 24 hours after hepatectomy of each group of LC, CONTROL and LC + FN were 0%, 100%, and 80%, respectively. Residual liver of group-LC revealed massive necrosis in histological study. 2) Phagocytic index (K) of injected 3H-labeled LPS were 0.100/min, 0.155/min and 0.146/min, respectively. 3) Uptake of injected 3H-labeled LPS at 15 minutes after injection was remarkably elevated into the liver compared with the lung and spleen in each group. Also uptakes into the liver per gram of tissue were 0.96% ID/g, 3.00% ID/g and 1.46% ID/g, respectively, and those per total organ were 5.95% ID/TO, 8.20% ID/TO and 9.21% ID/TO, respectively. 4) Level of plasma fibronectin decreased and that of serum total bile acid increased remarkably after injection of LPS in group-LC compared with the others. These results suggest the mortality of hepatic necrosis by LPS in group-LC is attributed to markedly reduced RES function especially in the liver, and supplementation of fibronectin decreases the mortality by enhancing RES function.