Discrepancy between portal pressure and systemic hemodynamic changes after incremental doses of propranolol in awake portal hypertensive rats

The effects of increasing doses of propranolol were studied in awake portal hypertensive rats in order to elucidate the relative effects of the beta-blocker on systemic and splanchnic circulation. Hemodynamic responses to 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg per min infusions of propranolol were compared with placebo in awake rats with portal hypertension due to portal vein stenosis. Heart rate significantly and progressively decreased from 356 +/- 13 to 293 +/- 10 beats per min (mean +/- S.E.). Cardiac output significantly decreased from 54 +/- 3 to 42 +/- 3 ml per min per 100 gm body weight at the highest dose. Significant decrease in portal tributary blood flow from 27 +/- 1 to 18 +/- 1 ml per min, at 0.4 mg per min dose, was due not only to the decrease in cardiac output but also to a significant increase in portal tributary vascular resistance from 269 +/- 17 to 368 +/- 31 dyne per sec per cm5 x 10(3). However, portal pressure showed only an insignificant decrease from 14.9 +/- 1.1 to 14.1 +/- 1.4 mmHg. The reduction in portal pressure being minimal, in spite of a significant decrease in portal tributary blood flow, is explained by an increase in combined hepatic and collateral resistance from 44 +/- 2 to 66 +/- 4 dyne per sec per cm5 x 10(3), p less than 0.05, at 0.4 mg per min dose. We conclude that the systemic and splanchnic effects of propranolol show discrepancy at two levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)