Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Jul 2001
Systemic and splanchnic hemodynamics following hemorrhage and volume restitution with Haemaccel in portal hypertensive rats: the effect of propranolol.
Recently, we found in a portal hypertensive rat model that hemorrhage and volume restitution with Haemaccel, a low viscosity plasma expander, induced an increase in cardiac output and portal venous inflow. The present study was conducted to evaluate whether pretreatment with propranolol will attenuate these hyperdynamic changes. ⋯ In this model, pretreatment with propranolol prevented the increase in portal venous inflow, which occurs following hemorrhage and volume restitution with Haemaccel. Although caution should be taken in extrapolating data from animal models to humans, our results suggest that volume replacement during a portal hypertensive-related bleeding episode may be safer in a patient treated with non-selective beta-adrenoreceptor antagonists.