Presinusoidal vessels predominantly contract in response to norepinephrine, histamine, and KCl in rabbit liver

• Published in: Journal of applied physiology (1985) Vol. 87; no. 4; pp. 1404 - 1412
• Main Authors: Shibamoto, Toshishige, Wang, Hong-Gang, Miyahara, Takashige, Tanaka, Satoshi, Haniu, Hisao, Koyama, Shozo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Am Physiological Soc 01.10.1999; American Physiological Society
• Subjects: Anatomy & physiology; Animals; Bile - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood vessels and receptors; Circulatory system; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemodynamics - drug effects; Histamine - pharmacology; Liver; Liver - anatomy & histology; Liver Circulation - drug effects; Liver Circulation - physiology; Norepinephrine - pharmacology; Organ Size - drug effects; Potassium Chloride - pharmacology; Rabbits; Vasoconstriction - physiology; Vasoconstrictor Agents - pharmacology; Vertebrates: cardiovascular system; Portal circulation; Digestive system; Liver; Vasoconstriction; Rabbit; Catecholamine; Lagomorpha; In vitro; Resistance; Histamine; Vasomotricity; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Hepatic vein; Norepinephrine; Portal vein; Sodium Chlorides
• ISSN: 8750-7587; 1522-1601
• DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1999.87.4.1404

Division 2, Department of Physiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan In rabbit livers, it is not well known which segments of the hepatic vasculature are predominantly contracted by various vasoconstrictors. We determined effects of histamine, norepinephrine, and KCl on hepatic vascular resistance distribution in isolated rabbit livers perfused via the portal vein with 5% albumin-Krebs solution at a constant flow rate. Hepatic capillary pressure was measured by double vascular occlusion pressure (Pdo) and was used to determine portal (Rpv) and hepatic venous (Rhv) resistances. A bolus injection of either histamine or norepinephrine dose-dependently increased portal venous pressure but not Pdo, resulting in a dose-dependent increase in Rpv and no changes in Rhv. KCl (50 mM), when injected in anterogradely perfused livers, contracted the presinusoidal vessels selectively with liver weight loss. Although KCl significantly increased Rhv in retrogradely perfused livers, the increase in Rpv by 400% of baseline predominated over the increase in Rhv by 85% of baseline. In the retrogradely perfused livers, KCl produced an initial liver weight loss followed by a profound weight gain. We conclude that histamine and norepinephrine selectively contract the presinusoidal vessels. The results on KCl effects suggest that this selective presinusoidal constriction might be possibly due to predominant distribution of functionally active vascular smooth muscle in the presinusoidal vessels rather than the hepatic vein in rabbit livers. double vascular occlusion pressure; sinusoidal pressure; portal vein; hepatic vascular resistance; hepatic circulation