title: Liver blood flow in chronic hemodialysis patients.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess liver blood flow and cardiac output in chronic hemodialysis patients (n = 7) before and after a hemodialysis session, and to compare it to normal volunteers (n = 11). We used the hepatic clearance of sorbitol to calculate liver blood flow and echocardiograms to evaluate cardiac output. The latter was higher in hemodialysis patients (predialysis 4.7 +/- 1.8 liters/min, postdialysis 4.5 +/- 0.9 liters/min) compared to normal subjects (3.8 +/- 0.9 liters/min, p = 0.09 and p = 0.05). Hepatic blood clearance of sorbitol was similar in hemodialysis patients before and after dialysis (1,610 +/- 266 and 1,541 +/- 415 ml/min) as well as in normal volunteers (1,565 +/- 313 ml/min). The hepatic extraction ratio of sorbitol is slightly decreased in hemodialysis patients (n = 3) (0.87 +/- 0.03) compared to values reported in the literature for healthy subjects. We conclude that liver blood flow is not significantly altered in hemodialysis patients.
authors.affiliation: André-Viallet Clinical Research Center, Université de Montréal, P.Q., Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leblanc
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Villeneuve
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Malo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pomier-Layrargues
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Legault
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D004234:Diuretics, Osmotic / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D004234:Diuretics, Osmotic; D013012:Sorbitol