Effect of ethanol on splanchnic hemodynamics in awake and unrestrained rats with portal hypertension.

Alcoholic liver disease is frequently accompanied by portal hypertension. We have previously shown that alcohol intake in awake, unrestrained rats is followed by an increase in portal tributary blood flow. In this study, the effect of ethanol on splanchnic hemodynamics in rats with portal hypertension was analyzed. Portal hypertension was induced by partial ligation of the portal vein. This procedure resulted in an increase in portal tributary and hepatic arterial blood flows compared to sham-operated animals. Ethanol (2 gm per kg, oral) increased portal tributary blood flow in both sham-operated and portal vein-ligated rats (sham + water = 37.6 +/- 1.4; sham + ethanol = 63.1 +/- 1.9; p less than 0.01; partial portal vein stenosis + water = 53.2 +/- 3.3; partial portal vein stenosis + ethanol = 69.5 +/- 2.2 ml.kg-1.min-1; p less than 0.01). In sham-operated rats, hepatic artery blood flow was unchanged following ethanol (sham + water = 6.6 +/- 0.7; sham + ethanol = 7.1 +/- 1.0 ml.kg-1.min-1), whereas in portal vein-ligated rats, flow was increased (partial portal vein stenosis + water = 13.7 +/- 1.4; partial portal vein stenosis + ethanol = 19.8 +/- 1.1 ml.kg-1.min-1; p less than 0.025). The adenosine receptor blocker 8-phenyltheophylline suppressed only the ethanol-induced increase in both portal tributary and hepatic artery blood flows in portal vein-ligated rats. The increases in hepatic artery and portal tributary blood flows observed in portal vein-ligated rats without ethanol were not influenced by 8-phenyltheophylline.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)