Treatment of Bile Duct Ligated Rats with the NOS Transcription Enhancer AVE 9488 Significantly Ameliorates Portal Hypertension

Aim: Nitric oxide (NO) is known to be one of the key players in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension. NO-levels are decreased in the cirrhotic liver and, in contrast, increased in the systemic and splanchnic vasculature. We investigated whether the oral application of the NOS transcription enhancer AVE 9488 to cirrhotic rats ameliorates portal hypertension. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were rendered cirrhotic by bile duct ligation (BDL). After 4 weeks, rats (n=8) were treated orally with 1.0mg/d AVE 9488 for 3 days. BDL animals (n=8) without pharmacological treatment served as controls. At the end of the…