title: Systemic and splanchnic haemodynamic effects of pentifylline in rats with portal hypertension.
abstract: 1. The systemic and splanchnic haemodynamic effects of pentifylline (40 mg/kg body weight intravenously) were assessed in rats with portal hypertension associated either with CCl4-induced cirrhosis (n = 13) or portal vein ligation (n = 13). 2. Heparinized catheters were placed into the portal vein, inferior vena cava, aorta and left ventricle with exits from the neck. Haemodynamic studies were performed 4 h after consciousness was regained. Cardiac output and regional blood flows were measured using radiolabelled microspheres and the reference sample method in seven rats in each group; portal-systemic shunting was measured using microsphere injection in the ileo-colic vein in six rats in each group. 3. Forty-five minutes after injection, pentifylline had no effect on mean arterial pressure, cardiac output, peripheral resistance, portal venous flow, hepatic artery flow or portal-systemic shunting in either group of rats with portal hypertension. The drug lowered portal pressure (-18%) in cirrhotic rats, but not in portal-vein-ligated rats. 4. These data demonstrate that pentifylline lowers portal pressure in cirrhotic rats without affecting portal venous flow and portal-systemic shunting; this effect is possibly mediated by changes in intrahepatic resistance related to the effects of pentifylline on blood viscosity and/or on intrahepatic vasomotor tone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, André-Viallet Clinical Research Center, Hôpital Saint-Luc, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dagenais
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pomier-Layrargues
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rocheleau
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giroux
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Huet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D013805:Theobromine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C007942:pentifylline; D013805:Theobromine