Hepatic lipid metabolism changes in short- and long-term prehepatic portal hypertensive rats.

AIM

To verify the impairment of the hepatic lipid metabolism in prehepatic portal hypertension.

METHODS

The concentrations of free fatty acids, diacylglycerol, triglycerides, and phospholipids were assayed by using D-[U-14C] glucose incorporation in the different lipid fractions and thin-layer chromatography and cholesterol was measured by spectrophotometry, in liver samples of Wistar rats with partial portal vein ligation at short- (1 mo) and long-term (1 year) (i.e. portal hypertensive rats) and the control rats.

RESULTS

In the portal hypertensive rats, liver phospholipid synthesis significantly decreased (7.42 +/- 0.50 vs 4.70 +/- 0.44 nCi/g protein; P < 0.01) and was associated with an increased synthesis of free fatty acids (2.08 +/- 0.14 vs 3.36 +/- 0.33 nCi/g protein; P < 0.05), diacylglycerol (1.93 +/- 0.2 vs 2.26 +/- 0.28 nCi/g protein), triglycerides (2.40 +/- 0.30 vs 4.49 +/- 0.15 nCi/g protein) and cholesterol (24.28 +/- 2.12 vs 57.66 +/- 3.26 mg/g protein; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Prehepatic portal hypertension in rats impairs the liver lipid metabolism. This impairment consists in an increase in lipid deposits (triglycerides, diacylglycerol and cholesterol) in the liver, accompanied by a decrease in phospholipid synthesis.