[Effects of side-to-side mesocaval shunt, pericardial devascularization, and a combined procedure in cirrhotic rats]

In this study, side-to-side mesocaval shunt (MCS-SS), pericardial devascularization (PCDV), and combined operation of the two procedures were performed in 3 groups of thioacetamide induced liver cirrhotic of rats. Portal and hepatic hemodynamics were investigated on a period of six weeks postoperation, and glucagon concentration in portal vein (PV) and inferior vena cava (IVC) was measured before and six weeks after the surgery. It was found that following PCDV, free portal pressure (FPP) was initially elevated without an increase of total hepatic blood flow (THBF) within four weeks, then both FPP and THBF were shown to decrease on the sixth week. After MCS-SS with a stoma diameter of 2.0mm, a 31% decrease of FPP (P less than 0.05) and a 23% decrease of THBF (P less than 0.05) were observed, though the portal blood flow remained hepatopetal and hyperglucagonemia in PV was not changed. After combined procedure there was a greater decrease of FPP and THBF than that after MCS-SS, and the concentration of glucagon in PV was decreased without any change of its content in IVC.