Progressive hepatic arterial flow increase after end-to-side portacaval shunt in normal and cirrhotic rats

Hepatic blood flow (HBF; ml/min/g of liver) has been measured in Wistar rats with a Xenon 133 washout method. The hepatic arterial blood flow (HABF) which amounts to 23 +/- 3% of the total HBF increases immediately after occlusion of the portal vein to ensure 36 +/- 4% of the control HBF, but continues to increase progressively for the next 4 h to furnish 69 +/- 5% of the control HBF. This represents a 183 +/- 16% increase of the control HABF. Thereafter, the liver starts to atrophy, whereas the total liver blood flow remains constant. Thus, the HBF increases and 30 days later does not differ significantly from the control value. Similar experiments were performed in rats in which cirrhosis was induced by CCl4. The HBF is decreased and the contribution of the hepatic artery raised. After portacaval shunting, the increase of the HABF, although less pronounced, is also progressive and takes 4 h to reach its maximum.