title: The effect of oral nitroglycerin on portal blood velocity as measured by ultrasonic Doppler. A double blind, placebo controlled study.
abstract: We studied the effect of oral nitroglycerin on portal blood velocity (PBV) in 20 cirrhotic patients by a double blind, placebo controlled method using noninvasive Doppler sonography. After we obtained baseline Doppler in the fasting state, 0.6 mg nitroglycerin or placebo was given orally and the mean of 3 s averaged mean PBVs was repeated at 5 min intervals for 60 min. Ten patients each received nitroglycerin or placebo. Portal vein flows were antegrade in all. Of the 10 patients receiving nitroglycerin, seven (P = 0.002) showed a greater than 10% fall in the mean PBVs for at least 15 min. Of these seven "responders," five patients had a 10% decrease in mean systemic blood pressure for at least 15 min. None of the "nonresponders" had systemic hypotension. Our study suggests that the PBV-reducing effect of nitroglycerin in cirrhotics may be explained in part by systemic hypotension.
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Ralls
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Korula
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011168:Portal System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000502:physiology; D014465:Ultrasonics; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D005996:Nitroglycerin