Objective To investigate the expression of mRNA of α 1 adrenoceptor in hepatic tissues of cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension Methods Semi quantitative reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) were used in 12 hepatic virus B related cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension and 15 controls from routine liver cutting biopsy for gallstone patients undergoing cholecystectomy who have no history of hypertension Special α 1 adrenoceptor subtype product and internal standard GAPDH product were amplified in the same RT PCR system simultaneously The ratio of their integral optical density (IOD) was calculated to stand for the relative expression of the α 1 adrenoceptor subtypes Results The relative mRNA expression of α 1a adrenoceptor subtype in hepatic tissues of cirrhotic patients Department of Surgery, People’s Hospital, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100044, China (Zhu JY, Chen L, Leng XS and Du RY) This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation and the Scientific Research Foundation of the Ministry of Health.(0 26±0 12) was significantly lower than that of controls (0 86±0 38, P <0 01) The relative mRNA expression of α 1b adrenoceptor subtype in hepatic tissues of cirrhotic patients (0 03±0 01) was significantly lower than that of controls (0 23±0 10, P <0 01) There was no expression of α 1d adrenoceptor subtype in hepatic tissues of either cirrhotic patients or controls The relative mRNA expression of α 1a adrenoceptor subtype is significantly higher than that of α 1b adrenoceptor subtype in hepatic tissues of both cirrhotic patients and controls ( P <0 01) Conclusion α 1a adrenoceptor mRNA expression predominated in both normal and cirrhotic hepatic tissues, came in second the expression of α 1b adrenoceptor and no expression of α 1d adrenoceptor The decreased expression of mRNA of α 1a and α 1b adrenoceptor may underlie the decrease of α 1 adrenoceptor proteins often seen in the hepatic tissues of cirrhotic patients, and may play an important role in the pathogenesis and maintenance of portal hypertension Objective To investigate the expression of mRNA of α 1 adrenoceptor in hepatic tissues of cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension Methods Semi quantitative reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) were used in 12 hepatic virus B related cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension and 15 controls from routine liver cutting biopsy for gallstone patients undergoing cholecystectomy who have no history of hypertension Special α 1 adrenoceptor subtype product and internal standard GAPDH product were amplified in the same RT PCR system simultaneously The ratio of their integral optical density (IOD) was calculated to stand for the relative expression of the α 1 adrenoceptor subtypes Results The relative mRNA expression of α 1a adrenoceptor subtype in hepatic tissues of cirrhotic patients Department of Surgery, People’s Hospital, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100044, China (Zhu JY, Chen L, Leng XS and Du RY) This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation and the Scientific Research Foundation of the Ministry of Health. (0 26 ± 0 12) was significantly lower than that of controls (0 86 ± 0 38, P <0 01) The relative mRNA expression of α 1b adrenoceptor subtype in hepatic tissues of cirrhotic patients (0 03 ± 0 01) was significantly lower than that of controls (0 23 ± 0 10, P <0 01) There was no expression of α 1d adrenoceptor subtype in hepatic tissues of either cirrhotic patients or controls The relative mRNA expression of α 1a adrenoceptor subtype is significantly higher than that of α 1b adrenoceptor subtype in hepatic tissues of both cirrhotic patients and controls (P <0 01) Conclusion α 1a adrenoceptor mRNA expression predominated in both normal and cirrhotic hepatic tissues, came in second the expression of α 1b adrenoceptor and no expression of α 1d adrenoceptor The decreased expression of mRNA of α 1a and α1b adrenoceptor may underlie the decrease of α 1 adrenoceptor proteins often seen in the hepatic tissues of cirrhotic patients, and may play an important role in the pathogenesis and maintenance of portal hypertension