Postanesthetic hepatic injury in rats: influence of alterations in hepatic blood flow, surgery, and anesthesia time.

Hepatic injury was measured in enzyme-induced rats following ligation of the hepatic artery performed under anesthesia with thiamylal, halothane, enflurane, or isoflurane. The influence of surgical site was determined by performing upper abdominal (sham ligation), lower abdominal, and peripheral surgery on rats anesthetized with halothane. The effect of anesthesia time was evaluated by continuing halothane anesthesia for 1, 2, or 4 hours after upper abdominal (sham ligation) surgery. Centrilobular necrosis did not occur in enzyme-induced rats anesthetized with thiamylal, isoflurane, or enflurane, or in halothane-anesthetized animals that had not undergone enzyme induction. When halothane was the anesthetic, hepatic injury was significant after both the sham operation and ligation of the hepatic artery, and hepatic injury was directly related to anesthesia time. Lower abdominal surgery and the sham operation were associated with comparable hepatic damage, which was more than that occurring after peripheral surgery.