Mechanical, morphological and pharmacological properties of oesophageal varices and small mesenteric veins in portal hypertensive rabbits.

The properties of isolated small oesophageal and mesenteric veins were investigated in a rabbit model subjected to a 4-week period of portal vein stenosis. The animals developed oesophageal varices and these together with the small mesenteric veins were mounted on a myograph. Compared with sham-operated controls portal hypertension resulted in an increased normalized inner radius and media thickness of the oesophageal veins resulting in a non-significant increase in the media to lumen ratio, while the inner radius decreased as media thickness increased in mesenteric veins resulting in a significant (P less than 0.01) increase in the media to lumen ratio. When activated, the active wall tension of both the oesophageal and mesenteric veins was increased following portal hypertension, but the active media stress was unchanged. The EC50 for noradrenaline and angiotensin II did not change in portal hypertensive vessels compared with controls and was equal in oesophageal and mesenteric vessels. The ability of isoprenaline and serotonin to relax pre-contracted vessels of both types was reduced by the portal hypertension. The results of these studies suggest that the development of oesophageal varices is not only due to increased portal venous pressure.