Regulation of hepatic blood flow in patients with liver cirrhosis and after liver transplantation

We studied liver blood flow at rest and its regulatory changes after exercise and food intake in ten patients with advanced liver cirrhosis and in 14 patients more than 10 months after orthotopic liver transplantation. The results were compared with those obtained in ten healthy volunteers. Sorbitol steady state infusion was employed to measure functional liver blood flow (FLBF). Thirty minutes of half-maximal muscular work, performed on a supine position ergometer and consumption of a standard meal were used as stimuli to study regulatory changes in hepatic perfusion. Results: FLBF at rest was reduced in end stage cirrhosis (mean 1257±105 ml/min in cirrhosis vs. 1707±76 ml/min in controls; P<0.01). After liver transplantation FLBF at rest was normalized (mean 1922±169 ml/min) in patients with stable graft function. Muscular exercise led to a reduction in FLBF, which in the transplanted patients was the same range as in normal controls (−26.7±3.7%; −24.7±0.7, respectively), but was reduced in cirrhosis (−19.1±2.1%; P<0.05). After ingestion of a standard meal FLBF increased substantially in normal controls (+40.2±2.3%), while in patients with cirrhosis this increase was rather small (+10.1±1.9%; P<0.001). After transplantation the food-induced increase in FLBF(+20.5±3.6%) was larger than in cirrhosis (P<0.05) but remained smaller than in the controls (P<0.01). We conclude that in cirrhosis FLBF is reduced and adaptive changes after exercise or food intake are impaired. After transplantation FLBF is normalized, but blood flow regulation, especially after food intake remains abnormal.