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THE OXYGEN SUPPLY OF THE LIVER
Author(s) -
McMichael John
Publication year - 1937
Publication title -
quarterly journal of experimental physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0370-2901
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1937.sp000737
Subject(s) - ligature , portal venous pressure , artery , blood flow , hepatic portal vein , right gastric vein , medicine , fibrous capsule of glisson , ligation , shock (circulatory) , occlusion , portal vein , vasoconstriction , vein , venous blood , portal hypertension , cirrhosis
1. In the cat the liver obtains about two‐thirds of its oxygen from the portal vein under normal conditions of blood‐pressure. Obstruction of the portal vein to a lobe causes central degeneration in the lobules. 2. When the blood‐pressure is lowered by hæmorrhage and shock, the oxygen content of the portal venous blood is proportionately diminished, and the liver becomes more and more dependent on the hepatic artery for its oxygen. 3. In the rabbit the liver is almost entirely dependent on the hepatic artery for its oxygen, and gets only an insignificant amount from the portal blood. 4. Irritation of the hepatic nerves by a ligature may cause a temporary diminution of the flow through the liver by causing vasoconstriction of the portal venules within the liver. This effect, however, is so transient that it does not play any significant part in determining the liver degeneration which results from ligature of the hepatic artery. 5. Temporary occlusion of the hepatic artery does not lead to reactive hyperæmia in the liver. The expenses of this Research have been partly defrayed by a grant from the Medical Research Council.