title: Significance of enhanced expression of nitric oxide syntheses in splenic sinus lining cells in altered portal hemodynamics of idiopathic portal hypertension.
abstract: Idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) is characterized by noncirrhotic portal hypertension due mainly to increased intrahepatic, presinusoidal resistance to portal blood flow. Marked splenomegaly is always seen in IPH. To clarify the pathogenetic significance of splenomegaly, immunohistochemical expression of inducible nitric oxide synthese (iNOS), endothelial NOS (eNOS), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in spleens from patients with IPH was examined. Sinus lining cells of IPH spleens showed diffuse and strong expression of iNOS and eNOS. Sinus lining cells of spleens from patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) also showed positive signals for iNOS and eNOS, but the staining intensity was significantly weak. ET-1 was detectable in only a few mononuclear leukocytes in the red pulp of both IPH and LC spleens. These results suggest that NO liberated in spleen, rather than ET-1, is responsible for the dilatation of splenic sinuses, leading to splenomegaly, and thereby contributes to portal hypertension in IPH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Kazuto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kozaka
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Motoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Yasuni
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakanuma
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000032:analysis*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000032:analysis*; D011168:Portal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000201:enzymology*; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III