论文部分内容阅读
BACKGROUND:Nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI2) are both powerful vasoactive substances correlated with the hyperhemodynamics of portal hypertension (PHT), a common syndrome characterized by a pathological increase in portal venous pressure. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the possible interaction between these two endothelial vasodilators, together with their respective roles in the hyperdynamic splanchnic circulation of PHT. METHODS:Ninety-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: intrahepatic portal hypertension (IHPH) induced by injection of CCl4 (n=31), prehepatic portal hypertension (PHPH) induced by partial stenosis of the portal vein (n=33), and sham-operated controls (SO) (n=32). Animals of each group received indomethacin (INDO), a cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, either short-term (7 days) or long-term (15 days), with saline as control. Free portal pressure (FPP), together with the concentration of NO and PGI2 in serum were measured. The activity of constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the abdominal aorta and small intestine were determined by spectrophotometry. RT-PCR was performed to measure the levels of cNOS and iNOS mRNA in the arteries and small intestines. RESULTS:Compared with SO rats, the concentrations of NO and PGI2 in PHT rats were elevated, which were consistent with the increased FPP (P