Uric acid changes in serum during different forms of hepatic vascular inflow occlusion

The present study was conducted to develop an efficient marker which can evaluate the influence of the occlusion of hepatic vascular inflow, which technique is commonly used in major liver surgery or in liver transplantation. Serum samples from the rats induced by hepatic vascular inflow occlusion were analyzed with high performance liquid chromatography with the electrochemical detection, and a substance which changed in accordance with the duration of the occlusion was obtained. Both the retention time and the ultraviolet absorption spectra of the substance completely agreed with those of an authentic uric acid and the substance was ultimately determined to be uric acid. To evaluate the changes in serum uric acid during different forms of hepatic vascular inflow occlusion we devised the four types of experimental model, viz. the occlusion of hepatic artery, portal vein, both hepatic artery and portal vein and both hepatic artery and portal vein of left hepatic lobes. From the device of experiments our results indicated that in the early stage of hepatic vascular inflow occlusion the high values of serum uric acid did not reflect the damage of hepatic circulation but rather responded to the intestinal congestion. Our results also indicated that even after the declamping of hepatic vascular inflow if high values of serum uric acid are prolonged it means the deterioration of the portocaval circulation including both intestinal and hepatic circulation. So that the evaluation of the severity of injured liver due to hepatic vascular inflow occlusion should be done with the caution especially in vivo study when uric acid values are used as a marker.