An Experimental Animal Model of Fulminant Hepatic Failure in Pigs

The objective of this study was to develop an experimental animal model of fulminant hepatic failure to test the efficacy of the bioartificial liver system. The portal vein and the hepatic artery were clamped intermittently and then the hepatic artery was ligated (ligation group, n=5). Pigs whose hepatic arteries were not ligated after clamping were assigned to the non-ligation group (n=5). The biochemical changes in blood, histologic alterations of the liver and neurologic examination for pigs were checked up. All animals died within 17 hr in the ligation group. On the other hand, all animals survived more than 7 days in the non-ligation group. In the ligation group, the levels of ammonia, lactic acid and creatinine showed a progressively increasing pattern. Prothrombin time was also prolonged gradually. Cytoplasmic condensation and nuclear pyknosis of hepatocytes were detected histologically at autopsy. Neurologic findings such as decreased pain sensation, tachypnea and no light reflex of pupils were observed. The findings shown in the ligation group are similar to the clinical features of fulminant hepatic failure in human and this animal model is reproducible. Therefore, this can be a suitable animal model to evaluate the efficacy of the bioartificial liver system for treating fulminant hepatic failure.

Experience of Congenital Choledochal Cyst in Adults: Treatment, Surgical Procedures and Clinical Outcome in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University

This study was undertaken to analyze and evaluate the diagnosis and principal treatment methods for congenital choledochal cyst, focusing on various surgical procedures and clinical outcome. A comprehensive, retrospective study was conducted on 72 adult patients who presented with choledochal cyst from 1985 to 2002. Surgical procedures were cyst excision with hepaticojejunostomy in 25 cases for type I or type IV-B, extrahepatic cyst excision with hepaticojejunostomy in 8 cases for type IV-A, extrahepatic cyst excision with modified hepaticojejunostomy in 2 cases for type IV-B, non-cyst excision with or without hepaticojejunostomy in 27 cases for types I, II, IV-A, IV-B. The early postoperative morbidity and mortality rate were 16.1% (9/62) and 6.5% (4/62) respectively, and the complication rate related to surgical procedure was 30.6% (19/62). The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma with non-cyst excision or non-operated congenital choledochal cyst was 10.8% (4/37). One patient died of primary hepatocellular carcinoma after cyst excision with hepatojejunostomy. In conclusion, our results showed that complete exci-sion of choledochal cyst for types I, II, and IV-B and complete excision of extra-hepatic choledochal cyst from the hepatic hilum in type IV-A with hepaticojejunostomy or modified hepaticojejunostomy are the treatment of choice for choledochal cyst in adult patients.