title: Effects on growth after portal hypertension induced in young rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical growth retardation in children with hypertension portal was observed regardless of schistosomiasis. It has been suggested that the shunt of portal blood through portosystemic collateral vessels would result in metabolic consequences that would lead to the physical growth deficit observed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Study the effects of hypertension portal in the growth of young rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The growth of 20 young rats, divided in the groups hypertension portal, n = 10, 103 +/- 3.7 g and sham operation n = 10, 102.6 +/- 3.4 g was evaluated throughout 5 weeks and the following parameters were under observation: quality of diet offered, diet ingestion, weight increase and urinary creatinine within 24 hours. At the end of the experiment, blood was taken for biochemical tests, prothrombin time and hematocrit and hypertension portal was measured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rats with hypertension portal induced at early stages of their lives present growth delay in the first week after surgery recovering their growth rhythm in the next weeks, catching up with the sham animals. Differences related to urinary creatinine excretion, biochemical tests and hematocrit were not observed. Such results are evidence against the hypothesis that the hypertension portal induced in early stages of rats lives would cause delay in their growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. lecmiranda@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Luiz Eduardo Correia
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: Reginaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ceneviva
authors.forename: Hélio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vannucchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D004032:Diet; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine