title: Therapeutic effect of captopril, pentoxifylline, and cordyceps sinensis in pre-hepatic portal hypertensive rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Portal hypertension is an important and potentially fatal complication of liver disease whereby cellular and fibrotic alterations manifest to increase portal venous pressure. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of captopril, pentoxifylline (PTX), and cordyceps sinensis in pre-hepatic portal hypertensive rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar male rats were divided at random into 3 main groups: the first group: control rats. The second group: sham-operated rats and the third group: prehepatic portal hypertensive rats (PHPHT) induced by regulated pre-hepatic portal vein ligation. After 14 days, Group 3 was subdivided into 5 subgroups. Subgroup (1): portal vein-ligated (PVL) was killed at once; Subgroup (2): received distilled water for 30 days (untreated PVL group); subgroups 3-5 were treated with captopril (60 mg/kg, orally); PTX (100 mg/kg, orally); and C. sinensis (200 mg/kg, orally), respectively, as a single daily dose for 30 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  Portal pressure, nitric oxide (NO), antioxidant enzymes, Liver enzymes, and creatinine levels were measured to evaluate the status of the liver state.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Portal vein ligation produced significant increments in liver enzymes, NO, creatinine and portal pressure concomitant with significant decrements in glutathione content and superoxide dismutase activity. Treatment with captopril, PTX, and C. sinensis resulted in a significant reduction in liver enzymes, NO, creatinine and portal pressure and observable increase in antioxidant enzymes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  captopril, PTX, and C. sinensis have promising effect in controlling PHPHT and reducing hyperdynamic circulatory state through reduction of portal pressure and NO level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Nabila N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: El-Maraghy
authors.forename: Rasha H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Abdel Ghaney
authors.forename: Shimaa M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Elshazly
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology*; D032661:Cordyceps; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D008026:Ligation; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000601:surgery; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002216:Captopril; D010431:Pentoxifylline