[Establishment of a new rat model of portal hypertension by intraportal injection of microspheres]

Abstract

Microspheres were injected intraportally to block intrahepatic portal radicals and to produce a new rat model of portal hypertention. Different sized microspheres (15 microns, 40 microns, 80 microns) were injected into the portal vein. The resultant changes in arterial, portal, hepatic venous and splenic pulp pressures were monitored. The results showed that a small-dose injection of 80 microns microspheres (1.8 x 10(5)) produced a steady state portal venous pressure of 2.53 +/- 0.17 kPa, and all rats showed a normal arterial pressure. This volume of 80 microns microspheres was considered as the suitable dose for the induction of portal hypertention in the model. Besides, numerous microspheres were found in the pulmonary vascular bed, suggesting the existence of intrahepatic portal-systemic shunts in the normal rat liver.