New model of reversible obstructive jaundice in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a simple, reversible, reproducible model of obstructive jaundice in rats that could also be used for studies of infection associated with foreign bodies in the biliary tract. DESIGN: Open study. SETTING: University of Lund, Sweden. MATERIAL: 18 Male Sprague-Dawley rats. INTERVENTION: Laparotomy and the placing of a "minioccluder" (developed in this laboratory) around the common bile duct. This was left in place for five days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Results of standard liver function tests measured on days 0, 5, and 12; the degree of obstruction seen on cholangiography on day 12; and changes in body weight on days 5 and 12. RESULTS: Activities of hepatic enzymes and plasma bilirubin concentrations were significantly increased on day 5 compared with day 0 (p < 0.01 in each case), but had returned to the reference range by day 12. Cholangiography (n = 10) showed that even though the part of the common bile duct proximal to the minioccluder was dilated the distal part was of normal diameter and patent. By 5 days the animals had lost 5% of their mean body weight, but this increased by 8% during the 7 days after relief of the occlusion (day 12). CONCLUSION: We have developed a reversible, reproducible model of obstructive jaundice in rats, which can be used for the study of topics related to obstructive jaundice and in particular infection associated with foreign bodies in the biliary tract.