Observation of Hepatohilar Peribiliary Vascular Plexus With Complete Absence of Hepatic Artery Blood Supply in Rats

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the morphologic changes in the hepatohilar peribiliary vascular plexus (PVP) and the pathology of the bile duct walls after cessation of hepatic artery blood supply in mice. Materials and Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) experimental mice were randomly divided into a control and a treatment group. The morphological structure of the hepatohilar PVP after cessation of blood supply was observed using ink perfusion transparency management with computerized 3 dimensional reconstruction. The inner layer of the PVP was analyzed quantitatively and pathological examination was performed on the bile duct wall. Results: The treatment group showed disorder of the 3-dimensional hepatohilar PVP structure with a markedly reduced number of micrangium in the inner layer (P < .01). The number of arterioles in the inner layer of PVP also trended downward (P < .05) and there was chronic hyperplastic inflammation in each layer of the vascular wall. Conclusion: Without an arterial blood supply containing a high oxygen content, the morphologic structure of the PVP changes, producing consequent pathology in the bile duct wall.