Liver microcirculation after selective denervation.
Microcirculatory disturbances have been related to a decrease in survival after liver transplant. Because innervation is involved in liver hemodynamics regulation, we decided to evaluate microcirculatory hepatic perfusion. Thirty rats were divided into three groups: denervated (DG), hepatic microsurgical denervation; manipulated (MG), hepatic manipulation; control (CG), laparotomy. Hepatic microcirculation was assessed in the median lobe using laser Doppler flowmetry in the following moments: T(0), after laparotomy and T(1), after denervation; and in the following moments after denervation: T(2), 10 minutes, T(3), 20 minutes, T(4), 30 minutes, T(5), 1 hour, T(6), 1.5 hours, and T(7), 2 hours for DG, and in same moments for MG and CG. DG showed a decrease in hepatic perfusion for 20 minutes after denervation, different from MG and CG. After that, there was recovery in hepatic perfusion in MG and DG (Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman tests). Therefore, denervation and manipulation alter hepatic microcirculation, but denervation promotes a more severe decrease than manipulation.