Abstract
The study was designed to develop a readily reproducible model of Acute Liver Failure (ALF) in the minipig, to gain an eight-hour therapeutic window to mimic, as closely as possible, acute liver failure in man. Method and material: We used reversible devascularization model of ALF in the minipig involving hepatic artery ligation and establish an end-to-side portocaval anastomosis.
Standard laboratory monitoring was complemented with intracranial pressure (ICP) measurement. Twenty minipigs (weight 25-30 kg) were used for the experiment.
The animals were divided into 3 groups: I - 10 animals in an experimental group with ALF, II - 5 animals in an experimental group with ALF and ICP measurement; III - 5 animals in a control group without ALF. Results: Laboratory testing has shown the significant changes in levels of AST (33.44 +- 39.96 vs. 1.56 +- 0.50 mmol/1), lactate (2.97 +- 1.16 vs. 1.18 +- 0.61 mmol/1), and ammonia (264.3 +- 93.05 vs. 42.5 +- 12.98 mmol/1) between ALF groups and controls (p < 0.01) six hour after the operative procedure and significant changes in hypoglycaemia and intracranial pressure were found 4 hours after the operative procedure.
The difference in Quick values (67.4 +- 17.03 vs. 75.2 +- 2.68) was not significant. We assume that the therapeutic window starts 4 hours after the beginning of the experiment.
Conclusion: Our devascularization model of ALF is simple and readily reproducible. The therapeutic window occurring shortly after surgery and persisting for a mean 9 hours is suitable to evaluate eliminations therapeutic methods.