[Hemodynamic studies on liver circulation with special reference to the hepatic artery]

Hepatic and systemic hemodynamics were studied in the rat under different experimental conditions. It could be demonstrated that the hepatic arterial blood flow in normal as well as in sick liver of animals is well regulated: for example by means of the venovasomotorical reaction (portoarterial interaction) and systemically by autoregulation. There exists an inverse correlation between arterial and portalvenous liver blood flow: As portal liver blood flow decreases hepatic arterial flow increases. Especially a marked increase of hepatic artery flow was found after portocaval end-to-side anastomosis. Yet, the hepatic artery flow improvement after portocaval shunt could not compensate the diverted portalvenous blood supply at all. In states of portal hypertension with a relevant portocaval collateral circulation, also after surgical portocaval shunt, the systemic circulation becomes more hyperdynamic. There also exists a remarkable relation between the extent of portocaval shunt flow to circulating blood volume, cardiac output and circulation time. Some correlates of the experimental findings with the altered hemodynamics in human liver cirrhosis were found and discussed from the viewpoint of portocaval shunt surgery in man.