Elevated arterial compliance in patients with cirrhosis is not related to arterial endothelin-1.
BACKGROUND
Patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension have a hyperkinetic systemic circulation. A number of circulating vasoactive peptides, including endothelin-1 (ET-1), are elevated and, recently, increased arterial compliance has been described in these patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate a potential relation between altered arterial compliance and arterial ET-1 in patients with cirrhosis. As ET-1 may be manipulated by somastostatin, the study includes infusion of octreotide in a subset of patients.


METHODS
A total of 67 patients with cirrhosis and 27 controls were studied during a haemodynamic investigation. Arterial ET-1 was determined by two different radioimmunoassays and arterial compliance was determined as the stroke volume/pulse pressure index.


RESULTS
Arterial compliance was elevated by 32%-40% in the cirrhotic patients as compared to the controls (P < 0.005). Arterial ET-1 was elevated by 26%-170% in the cirrhotic patients (P<0.001). No significant relationships could be established between arterial compliance and arterial ET-1 (r = -0.15 to 0.23, ns). Intravenous bolus injection and infusion of octreotide (100 pg + 100 microg/h, n = 9) did not significantly change either arterial compliance or arterial ET-1.


CONCLUSIONS
Both arterial compliance and arterial ET- I are substantially elevated in patients with cirrhosis, but there is no significant relation between arterial compliance and arterial ET- I in these patients.
Møller
S
S
Dept of Clinical Physiology, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Gülberg
V
V
Becker
U
U
Gerbes
A L
AL
Henriksen
J H
JH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015282:Octreotide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage
D019332:Endothelin-1; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D015282:Octreotide