[Advantages and disadvantages of an experimental model for the study of acute hepatic insufficiency]

At present, there is no ideal model for acute hepatic insufficiency that assists in the understanding of its numerous clinical and metabolic problems. Pharmacological models are reversible but biologically imprecise, whereas surgical models offer a homogeneous biological answer, but are irreversible and only suitable for brief experiments. An assessment is made here of a model in the rat involving complete devascularisation of the liver by portocava anastomosis and ligation of the liver peduncle, and total hepatectomy in a single stage. The following parameters were used to evaluate the experimental usefulness of the model: reproducibility of the response and death due to acute insufficiency after a period long enough to permit the efficacy of support management to be assessed. All the controls survived for indefinite periods after portocava anastomosis, whereas the mean survival of 20 animals subjected to total hepatectomy was 12.05 +/- 5.0 hr), and coma intervened 7.5 +/- 3.3 hr after resection. These results point to the usefulness of the model in studies on the treatment of hepatic insufficiency. It is open to further improvement through alteration of the post-operative glycidic control and reduction of the radicality of liver resection.