Attenuation of portal hypertension by natural taurine in rats with liver cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the inhibitory effect of natural taurine (NTau) on portal hypertension (PHT) in rats with experimentally-induced liver cirrhosis (LC).


METHODS
Experimentally-induced LC Wistar rats (20 rats/group) were treated with either oral saline or oral NTau for 6 consecutive weeks. Evaluation parameters included portal venous pressure (PVP), portal venous resistance (PVR), portal venous flow (PVF), splanchnic vascular resistance (SVR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Vasoactive substance levels including nitric oxide (NO), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) were also measured. Histological investigation of type I and III collagen (COL I and III) and transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta1) was also performed.


RESULTS
Treatment with NTau (1) significantly decreased PVP, PVR and PVF, and increased MAP and SVP; (2) markedly increased the vascular compliance and reduced the zero-stress of the portal vein; (3) markedly decreased the amount of NO and cGMP and activity of NOS; and (4) improved the pathological status of the liver tissue and reduced the expression of COL I, COL III and TGF-beta1.


CONCLUSIONS
NTau inhibited the LC-induced PHT by improving hyperdynamic circulation, morphology of liver and biomechanical properties of the portal vein in experimentally-induced LC rats.
Liang
Jian
J
The Affiliated Ruikang Hospital of Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medical College, Nanning 530011, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
Deng
Xin
X
Lin
Zhi-Xiu
ZX
Zhao
Li-Chun
LC
Zhang
Xi-Liu
XL
D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013654:Taurine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
D024042:Collagen Type I; D024061:Collagen Type III; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D013654:Taurine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D006152:Cyclic GMP