Sodium retention and hepatic function following partial portal vein ligation in the rat.

Recent studies have suggested that the development of sodium retention in experimental cirrhosis in the rat occurs when hepatic function, measured by the aminopyrine breath test, decreases below a critical threshold. The present study evaluated the relationship between renal sodium handling and hepatic function and determined whether sodium retention occurs following partial portal vein ligation. Sodium balance, urine volume, creatinine clearance and the aminopyrine rate constant of elimination, on a constant sodium intake, were evaluated daily, from 1 day before surgery to 5 days after surgery, in both sham-operated (n = 6) and partially portal vein-ligated rats (n = 14). In the partially portal vein-ligated group, sodium retention occurred in 9 rats between 1 and 4 days after surgery, accompanied by a 45% reduction in the aminopyrine rate constant of elimination. Spontaneous natriuresis occurred within 5 days after surgery, and was associated with an increase in the aminopyrine rate constant of elimination from 0.94 +/- 0.07 x 10(-2) min-1 on the last day of sodium retention to 1.36 +/- 0.06 x 10(-2) min-1 on the day of diuresis (P < 0.05). In contrast, creatinine clearance did not change throughout the study. There was a negative curvilinear association between sodium balance and the aminopyrine rate constant of elimination (r = 0.70, P < 0.001). In the five rats without sodium retention, there was no change in the aminopyrine rate constant of elimination and creatinine clearance over the 5 days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)