The effect of alcohol-induced hepatomegaly on portal hypertension in cirrhotic rats.
Male Sprague-Dawley rats with CCl4-induced cirrhosis (confirmed by increased collagen content and light microscopy) were fed either ethanol (Group A, n = 9) or isocaloric carbohydrate diet (Group B, n = 8) for 4 weeks. Histologic and hemodynamic measurements were obtained in the awake state before (time 1) and after the 4 weeks of diet (time 2). Portal-systemic shunts were evaluated using radiolabelled microspheres. Liver weight was increased in Group A (16.5 +/- 0.5 vs. 14.2 +/- 0.5 g, mean +/- SE, p less than 0.005) as was the ratio of liver weight over total body weight (3.41 +/- 0.05 vs. 2.86 +/- 0.09%, p less than 0.0001, +19.2%). Hepatocytes surface area was increased in the ethanol group (357 +/- 9 vs. 294 +/- 7 microns 2, p less than 0.0001). In Group B, only 9 +/- 2% of hepatocytes had steatosis as opposed to 69 +/- 3% of centronodular and 34 +/- 3% of perinodular hepatocytes in Group A (p less than 0.001). Portal pressure remained stable in both groups (time 1 (A) 16.9 +/- 0.8, (B) 15.8 +/- 1.1 mmHg, n.s.; time 2 (A) 15.9 +/- 0.7, (B) 15.8 +/- 0.6 mmHg, n.s.). Portal-systemic shunts did not change with time or diet (time 1 (A) 10.6 +/- 3.7%, (B) 4.1 +/- 2.1%, n.s.; time 2 (A) 13.4 +/- 5.9%, (B) 10.8 +/- 4.3%, n.s.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Dagenais
M
M
André-Viallet Clinical Research Center, Hôpital Saint-Luc, Montréal, Canada.
Giroux
L
L
Belgiorno
J
J
Huet
P M
PM
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D010634:Phenobarbital; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D000431:Ethanol; D003094:Collagen; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D010634:Phenobarbital