Hepatic, vascular and biliary responses to infusion of gastrointestinal hormones and bile salts.

The effects of secretin, cholecystokinin, synthetic pentagastrin, sodium dehydrocholate and sodium taurocholate on hemodynamics of the canine liver were studied in a total of 57 dogs. Bile flow was also measured. Dehydrocholate and cholecystokinin significantly decreased systemic arterial pressure while the other substances did not. Hepatic arterial vessels were dilated by pentagastrin and the bile salts; however, flow was not increased in the latter case. Intraheptic portal venous resistance was decreased by pentagastrin and increased by the bile salts. Portal flow was decreased by the bile salts and increased by pentagastrin. Apart from this, mean changes in portal venous flow and portal pressure were not statistically significant. All were potent choleretic agents except pentagastrin which produced only a relatively small transient increase in bile flow.