title: Morphological and biomechanical remodeling of the hepatic portal vein in a swine model of portal hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To obtain the morphological and biomechanical remodeling of portal veins in swine with portal hypertension (PHT), so as to provide some mechanical references and theoretical basis for clinical practice about PHT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty white pigs were used in this study, 14 of them were subjected to both carbon tetrachloride- and pentobarbital-containing diet to induce experimental liver cirrhosis and PHT, and the remaining animals served as the normal controls. The morphological remodeling of portal veins was observed. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression profile in the vessel wall was assessed at both mRNA and protein level. The biomechanical changes of the hepatic portal veins were evaluated through assessing the following indicators: the incremental elastic modulus, pressure-strain elastic modulus, volume elastic modulus, and the incremental compliance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The swine PHT model was successfully established. The percentages for the microstructural components and the histological data significantly changed in the experimental group. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression was significantly downregulated in the portal veins of the experimental group. Three incremental elastic moduli (the incremental elastic modulus, pressure-strain elastic modulus, and volume elastic modulus) of the portal veins from PHT animals were significantly larger than those of the controls (P < 0.05), whereas the incremental compliance of hepatic portal vein decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that the morphological and biomechanical properties of swine hepatic portal veins change significantly during the PHT process, which may play a critical role in the development of PHT and serve as potential therapeutic targets during clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomechanics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.
authors.forename: Xi-Ju
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Tie-Zhu
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Pei-Jun
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xing-Chun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Wen-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Ming-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D003187:Compliance; D015536:Down-Regulation; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010424:Pentobarbital; D017082:Portal Pressure; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D010424:Pentobarbital