Abstract
Measurement of portal blood flow using pulsed doppler with the Octoson was performed in 35 cases of liver cirrhosis and 35 cases of normal subjects. In several cases, some effects of various extrinsic hormones (glucagon, insulin, gastrin, secretin, vasopressin, prostaglandin E1) on portal blood flow were observed. Under the condition of fasting, the maximal velosity (Vmax) of portal blood flow in the patients with liver cirrhosis (10.5±3.5cm/sec)was significantly lower than that in the normal subjects (21.1±5.7cm/sec). After one-shot injection of glucagon (1mg, i.v.), the Vmax was increased by 30% on average within 30min in the normal subjects and 10% in the patients with liver cirrhosis, and the response in the patients with liver cirrhosis was delayed compared with that in the normal subjects. After one-shot injection of secretin (1u/kg, i.v.), the Vmax was remarkably increased by 70% in the normal subjects and 51% in the patients with liver cirrhosis. After injection of vasopressin (0.4u/min), the Vmax was remarkably decreased by 45% in the normal subjects and 40% in the patients with liver cirrhosis. After injection of insulin (0.1u/kg, i.v.), gastrin (4μg/kg, i.m) or prostaglandin E1 (20μg, i.v.), there were no significant changes of those Vmax between normal subjects and the patients with liver cirrhosis.
