title: Spleno-renal shunt blood flow is an accurate index of collateral circulation in different models of portal hypertension and after pharmacological changes in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, we developed a new method to measure collateral blood flow in rats: splenorenal shunt (SRS) blood flow (BF). The aims were to evaluate the reproducibility of SRSBF measurement in different models of portal hypertension, and to investigate the ability of SRSBF to disclose pharmacological changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hemodynamics were determined in anesthetized rats with secondary biliary, CCl4 or DMNA cirrhosis and portal vein ligation (PVL) under baseline and pharmacological (octreotide, vapreotide) conditions. The main measurements performed were: SRSBF by the transit time ultrasound (TTU) method and % portosystemic shunts (PSS) by the microsphere method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SRSBF was 6 to 10 times higher in portal hypertensive rats and was similar in the different models of cirrhosis but was higher in portal vein ligated rats than in cirrhotic rats (1.1+/-0.7 vs 0.6+/-0.7 ml x min(-1) x 100 g(-1), p=0.01). SRSBF was correlated with mesenteric %PSS (r=0.61, p<0.01), splenic %PSS (r=0.54, p<0.05), portal pressure (r= 0.32, p<0.05) and the area of liver fibrosis (r=0.33, p<0.05). Octreotide significantly decreased SRSBF (-23+/-20%, p<0.01 vs placebo: -6+/-8%, NS). Vapreotide significantly decreased SRSBF but not mesenteric or splenic %PSS compared to placebo. The variations in SRSBF (-26+/-32%) and in splenic %PSS (0+/-15%) with vapreotide were significantly different (p<0.05) and not correlated (r=-0.1, NS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Determination of SRSBF by TTU is an accurate way to measure collateral blood flow in different models of intra- and extra-hepatic portal hypertension in rats. Its sensitivity provides accurate measurement of pharmacological changes, unlike the traditional estimation of %PSS by the microsphere method.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Hémodynamique Splanchnique, Université d'Angers, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Veal
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oberti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moal
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vuillemin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fort
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaassis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pilette
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Calès
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D015282:Octreotide / Q000494:pharmacology; D011169:Portal Vein; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D013164:Splenorenal Shunt, Surgical; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; C051458:vapreotide; D013004:Somatostatin; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine; D015282:Octreotide