ABSTRACT
The fact that the liver has a high oxygen requirement, receives 60 to 70% of its blood supply through a vein, has a perivenular zone of the acinus which is normally in a state of hypoxia relative to the periportal zone, renders this organ highly susceptible to hypoxic cell damage. The oxygen tension in the sinusoids supplying the cells in the periportal area is of the order of 65 to 70 mmHg, while in the perivenular area, the oxygen tension drops to about 30 mmHg, indicating that oxygen is removed along the sinusoidal length. An important factor that could account for the resistance of most species, including man, to alcohol-induced liver damage is the existence of a compensatory increase in blood flow through the liver in the presence of ethanol. In studies where alcohol was administered either acutely or chronically, the increase in blood flow delivered to the liver was sufficient to compensate for the alcohol-induced increase in oxygen consumption.
