Hepatic reperfusion in rats: a new model with portal arterialization in studying early ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Isolated liver perfusion has been used to evaluate the beneficial effects of several agents. In the present study, we developed a model using a recipient rat to reperfuse harvested livers in an ex situ, in vivo recirculating system. A total of 25 reperfusion procedures using adult male Wistar rats as donors and recipients were done. The preservation of the livers was performed with University of Wisconsin solution for 6 hours. Thereafter, the liver was reperfused with blood from another rat. We believe that the model presented herein offers an alternative method to evaluate early hepatocellular damage or hepatic microcirculation.