Autonomic vasomotor controls in hepatic blood flow

1. 1. Hepatic periarterial neurectomy in normal dogs produces a 15 to 25 per cent increase in estimated hepatic blood flow, as measured by Au 198 colloid, which is due to a 35 per cent increase in hepatic arterial flows. 2. 2. In a normal dog with an Eck fistula and with a reduced hepatic blood flow to 53 per cent of preoperative resting values by the diversion of portal flow, hepatic periarterial neurectomy produces a 132 per cent increase in hepatic arterial flow and increases total blood flow to 85 to 88 per cent of normal resting value. 3. 3. Hepatic periarterial neurectomy produces increased survival in dogs with an Eck fistula during the first postoperative month, eight of ten dogs surviving compared with three of ten dogs surviving without neurectomy. This effect was most marked in the first postoperative month. 4. 4. Ammonia tolerance curves in animals with an Eck fistula were markedly improved to almost normal levels by hepatic periarterial neurectomy. 5. 5. The duration of effect of hepatic periarterial neurectomy is maximal in the first four to six weeks and gradually declines thereafter but may be reproduced by laparotomy and procaine block at the site of previous neurectomy.