Interaction of flow and resistance in maintenance of portal hypertension in a rat model

To clarify the roles that portocollateral resistance ("backward-flow" theory) and portal flow ("forward-flow" theory) play in maintaining chronic portal hypertension, we studied, in a rat model with prehepatic portal hypertension, the hemodynamic changes that occur when portocollateral resistance is reduced and high portal venous inflow is maintained. In 30 portal-hypertensive rats the constriction around the portal vein was removed 4 days after induction of portal hypertension, 30 rats were used as portal vein-constricted controls, and 30 additional rats were subjected to a sham operation. The removal of the ligature constricting the portal vein was followed by an immediate decrease in portal pressure (from 16.3 +/- 0.8 to 9.6 +/- 0.8 mmHg, P less than 0.001). Two days after the ligature removal, hyperdynamic circulation was still evident and was characterized by a decreased splanchnic arteriolar resistance and an increased portal venous inflow. The coexistence of high portal venous inflow and normal por...