Cardiovascular Reactivity After Hepatectomy

¹ From the Research Division of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and the Frank E. Bunts Educational Institute, Cleveland, Ohio

Removal of the dog's liver only slightly reduced pressor-depressor responses to test drugs during several hours after operation in the majority of experiments. The perfused vascular bed of one hind leg of these preparations also showed relatively normal responsiveness to drug and reflex stimuli. Other experiments contrasted with these in that responses to test agents were greatly reduced, or lost, in company with enhanced response to the depressor action of TEAC and predominantly depressor response to serotonin which is characteristic when neurogenic vasoconstriction is increased, as after severe hemorrhage, but hemorrhage was probably not alone accountable for the unresponsive state following hepatectomy, nor could a number of other factors be proved causative. Removal of an organ so importantly concerned with detoxication failed to augment responses to vasoactive agents.