[Adrenoceptors in the hepatic tissues in cirrhotic rats and cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension].

OBJECTIVE

To study the density of alpha 1-adrenoceptors on hepatic tissues of cirrhotic rats and cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension.

METHODS

A light autoradiography of alpha 1-adrenoreceptors on hepatic tissues of Wistar rats in the process of CC1(4)-induced cirrhosis (n = 18) and hepatitis virus B-related cirrhotic patients (n = 8) were studied.

RESULTS

The density of alpha 1-adrenoceptors on hepatic tissues (per 10,000 microns2) in rats (normal/cirrhotic early stage/cirrhotic middle stage/cirrhotic advanced stage) was 946 +/- 100/431 +/- 54/567 +/- 92/692 +/- 55 for hepatocytes, 581 +/- 90/250 +/- 87/273 +/- 92/273 +/- 88 for intrahepatic artery walls, 470 +/- 83/260 +/- 75/258 +/- 77/253 +/- 83 for intrahepatic portal walls, 362 +/- 92/229 +/- 64/218 +/- 87/212 +/- 90 for hepatic venule walls and in patients (control human beings/cirrhotic patients) it was 1255 +/- 151/583 +/- 48 for hepatocytes, 705 +/- 189/184 +/- 47 for intrahepatic artery walls 410 +/- 89/ 154 +/- 21 for intrahepatic portal walls 339 +/- 95/... ...for hepatic venule walls.

CONCLUSION

The density of alpha 1-adrenoceptors on various hepatic structures in cirrhotic rats and cirrhotic patients are significantly lower than that in normal rats and control human beings (P < 0.01).