Portal hypertension after bile duct obstruction: effect of bile diversion on portal pressure in the rat
D. Franco, M. Gigou, A. M. Szekely and H. Bismuth
Biliary obstruction of 14 and 28 days induced in the rat an increase of
portal pressure (PP) and wedge hepatic vein pressure (WHVP); the higher
these were, the longer was the obstruction. Occurrence of portal
hypertension seemed related to portal and periportal fibrosis. Relief of
obstruction after 14 days by bilioduodenal anastomosis brought back to
normal PP and WHVP. In rats with longer obstruction periods, bilioduodenal
anastomosis failed to lower PP and WHPV although biological signs of
cholestasis returned to normal levels. These results suggest that portal
hypertension may arise very shortly after biliary obstruction in rats and
that it may persist in animals with a prolonged biliary obstruction despite
an efficient bile drainage. In clinical conditions, such results would
favor early treatment of lesions that usually cause prolonged bile duct
obstruction, such as postoperative bile duct stenosis.
