Increased plasma levels of corticosterone and prolactin and decreased T3 and T4 levels in short-term prehepatic portal hypertension in rats

• Published in: Digestive diseases and sciences Vol. 45; no. 9; pp. 1865 - 1871
• Main Authors: MONTERDE, Gonzalo, RODRIGUEZ-FABIAN, Guillermo, VARA, Elena, LOPEZ, Laudino, ARIAS, Jorge, ALLER, Maria-Angeles, ARIAS, Jaime
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01.09.2000
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Corticosterone - blood; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Hypertension, Portal - blood; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Nitric Oxide - blood; Other diseases. Semiology; Prolactin - blood; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Thyroxine - blood; Triiodothyronine - blood; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - analysis; Portal circulation disease; Rat; Corticosterone; Pathogenesis; Cytokine; Rodentia; Cardiovascular disease; Early stage; Vascular disease; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Mammalia; Prolactin; Animal; Nitric oxide; Portal hypertension; Thyroxine; Digestive diseases; Evolution; Triiodothyronine; Biological effect; Endocrinology; Tumor necrosis factor α
• ISSN: 0163-2116; 1573-2568
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1005588918516

Corticosterone, T3, T4, and prolactin serum concentrations at 24 hr (N = 10), 15 days (N = 10), and 45 days (N = 10) of postoperative (postop) evolution were assayed to study the neuroendocrine response to portal hypertension. A triple stenosing ligature of the portal vein was used as the surgical technique of portal hypertension. This technique does not produce mortality and causes a decrease in the serum concentrations of T3 (0.043 +/- 0.009 vs 0.55 +/- 0.08 ng/ml) and T4 (3.93 +/- 0.55 vs 4.65 +/- 0.67 microg/ml) and an increase in those of prolactin (28.61 +/- 20.20 vs 12.84 +/- 3.96 ng/ml) and corticosterone (397.50 +/- 64.17 vs 311.53 +/- 57.41 ng/ml) at 45 days postop. The T3, T4, prolactin, and corticosterone alterations are associated with a persistent increase of TNF-alpha and NO, whose serum concentrations at 45 days postop are, respectively, 1838.33 +/- 247.07 vs 48.89 +/- 8.75 pg/ml and 0.43 +/- 0.13 vs 0.19 +/- 0.01 mmol/ml. TNF-alpha and NO could mediate these hormonal alterations in the evolution of short-term portal hypertension in the rat; thus they are involved in the systemic neuroendocrine response that is induced by this injury.