AIM To evaluate the effects of varying ischemicdurations on cirrhotic liver and to determine the safeupper limit of repeated intermittent hepatic inflowocclusion.METHODS Hepatic ischemia in cirrhotic rats was inducedby clamping the common pedicle of left and median lobesafter non-ischemic lobes resection.The cirrhotic ratswere divided into six groups according to the duration andform of vascular clamping:sham occlusion(SO),intermittent occlusion for 10(IO-10),15(IO-15),20(IO-20)and 30(IO-30)minutes with 5 minutes of reflow andcontinuous occlusion for 60 minutes(CO-60).All animalsreceived a total duration of 60 minutes of hepatic inflowocclusion.Liver viability was investigated in relation ofhepatic adenylate energy charge(EC).Triphenyltetrazollum chloride(TTC)reduction activitieswere assayed to qualitatively evaluate the degree ofirreversible hepatocellular injury.The biochemical andmorphological changes were also assessed and a 7-daymortality was observed.RESULTS At 60 minutes after reperfusion following atotal of 60 minutes of hepatic inflow occlusion,EC valuesin IO-10(0.749±0.012)and IO-15(0.699±0.002)groupswere rapidly restored to that in SO group(0.748±0.016),TTC reduction activities remained in high levels(0.144±0.002mg/mg protein,0.139±0.003mg/mg protein and0.121±0.003mg/mg protein in SO,IO-10 and IO-15groups,respectively).But in IO-20 and IO-30 groups,EClevels were partly restored(0.457±0.023 and 0.534±0.027)accompanying with a significantly decreased TTCreduction activities(0.070±0.005mg/mg protein and0.061±0.003mg/mg protein).No recovery in EC values(0.228±0.004)and a progressive decrease in TTCreduction activities(0.033±0.002mg/mg protein)wereshown in CO-60 group.Although not significantlydifferent,the activities of the serum aspartateaminotransferase(AST)on the third postoperative day(POD_3)and POD_7 and of the serum alanineaminotransferase(ALT)on POD_3 in CO-60 group remained higher than that in intermittent occlusion groups.Moreover,a 60% animal mortality rate and more severemorphological alterations were also shown in CO-60group.CONCLUSION Hepatic inflow occlusion during 60 minutesfor liver resection in cirrhotic rats resulted in lesshepatocellular injury when occlusion was intermittentrather than continuous.Each period of 15 minutes was thesafe upper limit of repeated intermittent vascularocclusion that the cirrhotic liver could tolerate withoutundergoing irreversible hepatocellular injury. AIM To evaluate the effects of varying ischemicdurations on cirrhotic liver and to determine the safeupper limit of repeated intermittent hepatic inflow occlusion. METHODS Hepatic ischemia in cirrhotic rats was induced by clamping the common pedicle of left and median lobesafter non-ischemic lobes resection. The cirrhotic ratswere divided into six groups according to the duration andform of vascular clamping: sham occlusion (SO), intermittent occlusion for 10 (IO-10), 15 (IO-15), 20 (IO-20) and 30 5 minutes of reflow and continuous occlusion for 60 minutes (CO-60). All animals were pre-incubated for 60 minutes of hepatic inflow occlusion. Liver viability was investigated in relation to hepatic adenylate energy charge (EC). Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) reduction activitieswere assayed to qualitatively evaluate the degree of irreversible hepatocellular injury. the biochemical and morphological changes were also assessed and a 7-daymortality was observed .RESULTS At 60 minutes after r ETC following atotal 60 minutes of hepatic inflow occlusion, EC values ​​in IO-10 (0.749 ± 0.012) and IO-15 (0.699 ± 0.002) groupswere rapidly restored to SO in group (0.748 ± 0.016), TTC reduction activities remained in high levels (0.144 ± 0.002 mg / mg protein, 0.139 ± 0.003 mg / mg protein and 0.121 ± 0.003 mg / mg protein in SO, IO-10 and IO- , EClevels were significantly restored (0.457 ± 0.023 and 0.534 ± 0.027) with a significantly decreased TTC activity, respectively (0.070 ± 0.005 mg / mg protein and 0.061 ± 0.003 mg / mg protein) .No recovery in EC values ​​(0.228 ± 0.004) and a progressive decrease in TTC reduction activities (0.033 ± 0.002 mg / mg protein) wereshown in CO-60 group. No significant different, the activities of the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) on the third postoperative day (POD_3) and POD_7 and of the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) on POD_3 in CO-60 group remained higher than that in intermittent occlusion groups. Moreover, a 60% a nimal mortality rate and more severe morphological alterations were also shown in CO-60 group. CONCLUSION Hepatic inflow occlusion during 60 minutes for liver resection in cirrhotic rats resulted in less hepatocellular injury when occlusion was intermittent than than continuous. Each period of 15 minutes was thesafe upper limit of repeated intermittent vascular occlusion that the cirrhotic liver could tolerate withoutundergoinggoing irreversible hepatocellular injury.