Effects of parasympathetic blockade on hepatic and portal venous flow.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of parasympathetic blockade on the hepatic circulation, a study was performed in healthy men because the precise knowledge of factors to affect the hepatic circulation is required for the evaluation of liver diseases.


METHODS
Doppler measurements of the hepatic venous and portal venous flow were obtained with measurements of cardiac function before and after the administration of atropine sulfate, 0.02 mg/kg.


RESULTS
Parasympathetic blockade increased heart rate and cardiac output and changed diastolic right ventricular filling pattern. However, portal venous flow remained unchanged. Hepatic venous flow was triphasic at rest in 15 of the 20 subjects (75%). The amplitude of the oscillation of hepatic venous flow velocity was significantly reduced in association with an increase in heart rate and the hepatic venous flow pattern was significantly influenced by parasympathetic blockade in accordance with a change in right ventricular filling pattern.


CONCLUSIONS
The autoregulation of portal venous flow was suggested to exist and that the influences of parasympathetic activity and/or heart rate affected hepatic venous flow pattern.
Miyanaga
Yoshiko
Y
Department of Internal Medicine, Kawaguchi-Kogyo General Hospital, Japan.
Oniki
Toshiyuki
T
Kitamura
Hitoshi
H
Koyo
Toshiya
T
Watanabe
Mamoru
M
Numano
Fujio
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011168:Portal System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation*; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000187:drug effects*; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex / Q000187:drug effects*
D010276:Parasympatholytics; D001285:Atropine