Susceptibility of the liver and biliary tract to anaerobic infection in extrahepatic biliary tract obstruction. II. Liver function and morphology of the liver and biliary tract--an experimental study in rabbits.

Biliary tract infection with anaerobic bacteria (B. fragilis or Fusobacterium mortiferum) was produced in rabbits by common duct ligation (c.d.l.) 3 days prior to intravenous bacterial inoculation. Animals were investigated 1, 4 or 7 days after inoculation. Histopathological investigations included the liver, the common duct, and the gallbladder, while liver function was evaluated by bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (AP), and L-alanine aminotransferase (GPT) in serum. Rabbits with c.d.l. and biliary tract infection were compared to rabbits with c.d.l. in which bacterial inoculation failed to produce infection, to inoculated rabbits without c.d.l., and to uninoculated rabbits with c.d.l. Anaerobic biliary tract infection in rabbits with c.d.l. caused a significant increase in liver abscesses, a significant increased infiltration with granulocytes in the gallbladder, and a significant increase in serum levels of bilirubin, AP, and GPT, but failed to produce signs of cholangitis in the liver and intramural abscesses in the gallbladder. A material is presented of normal values for bilirubin, AP, and GPT in serum in rabbits.