Treatment with portal vein-hepatic artery shunt for liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension in pigs

Objective To observe the therapeutic effects of end-to-side and side-to-side portal vein-hepatic artery shunts (P-H shunt) in pigs with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension.Methods There were 15 pigs in each group (control and experimental),and the P-H shunt was made in each animal to observe the process of blood flow into the liver and the reduction of portal vein blood pressure.Results The portal vein pressures before the P-H shunt of pigs in the control and experimental group were (20.51±0.74) cm H2O (1 cm H2O=0.098 kPa) and (30.82±2.53) cm H2O respectively (P＜0.05).Portal vein pressures 30 days after the P-H shunt were(19.75±0.84) cm H2O and (20.84± 1.36) cm H2 O respectively (P＞0.05).The portal vein pressure differences of pigs in the control and experimental group before P-H shunt were (7.20±0.34) cm H2O and (17.34±0.62) cm H2O respectively (P＜0.05).Pressures differences 30 days after the P-H shunt were (6.40±0.21) cm H2O and (7.84 ± 1.32) cm H2O respectively (P＜0.05).Splenic vein injection of methylene blue after the P-H shunt operation stained the liver well.No necrosis and hepatic encephalopathy occurred for 30 days after the P-H shunt,and the splenomegaly gradually returned to normal.Liver function was most affected after the operation and other biochemical markers were least affected.Conclusions The P-H shunt changed the channel of blood flow into the liver,the portal hemodynamic was not affected,and a new balanced mechanism was established to maintain the portal hemodynamic stability.However,further treatment was needed for liver function recovery. Key words: Cirrhosis;  Portal hypertension;  Animal models;  Portal vein-hepatic artery shunt