Basic Research
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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 14, 2006; 12(42): 6828-6834
Published online Nov 14, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i42.6828
Hepatic lipid metabolism changes in short- and long-term prehepatic portal hypertensive rats
Maria-Angeles Aller, Elena Vara, Cruz García, Maria-Paz Nava, Alejandra Angulo, Fernando Sánchez-Patán, Ana Calderón, Patri Vergara, Jaime Arias
Maria-Angeles Aller, Alejandra Angulo, Fernando Sánchez-Patán, Ana Calderón, Jaime Arias, Surgery Chair, SurgeryIDepartment, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
Elena Vara, Cruz García, Biochemical and Molecular Biology Department, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
Maria-Paz Nava, Animal Physiology Department (Physiology II), School of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
Patri Vergara, Physiology Unit. Veterinary School, Autonoma University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cataluña, Spain
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by grants from Foundation MMA (SV-O4-FMM-02), and Consejería de Sanidad, Instituto Ciencias de la Salud, de la Junta de Castilla-La Mancha (Ref. No. 04047-00)
Correspondence to: Maria-Angeles Aller, MD, PhD, Cátedra de Cirugía, Facultad de Medicina, UCM, Pza. Ramón y Cajal, s/n, Universidad Complutense, Madrid 28040, Spain. maaller@med.ucm.es
Telephone: +34-91-3941388 Fax:+34-91-3947115
Received: July 21, 2006
Revised: September 15, 2006
Accepted: September 26, 2006
Published online: November 14, 2006
Abstract

AIM: To verify the impairment of the hepatic lipid metabolism in prehepatic portal hypertension.

METHODS: The concentrations of free fatty acids, diacylglycerol, triglycerides, and phospholipids were assayed by using D-[U-14C] glucose incorporation in the different lipid fractions and thin-layer chromatography and cholesterol was measured by spectrophotometry, in liver samples of Wistar rats with partial portal vein ligation at short- (1 mo) and long-term (1 year) (i.e. portal hypertensive rats) and the control rats.

RESULTS: In the portal hypertensive rats, liver phospholipid synthesis significantly decreased (7.42 ± 0.50 vs 4.70 ± 0.44 nCi/g protein; P < 0.01) and was associated with an increased synthesis of free fatty acids (2.08 ± 0.14 vs 3.36 ± 0.33 nCi/g protein; P < 0.05), diacylglycerol (1.93 ± 0.2 vs 2.26 ± 0.28 nCi/g protein), triglycerides (2.40 ± 0.30 vs 4.49 ± 0.15 nCi/g protein) and cholesterol (24.28 ± 2.12 vs 57.66 ± 3.26 mg/g protein; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: Prehepatic portal hypertension in rats impairs the liver lipid metabolism. This impairment consists in an increase in lipid deposits (triglycerides, diacylglycerol and cholesterol) in the liver, accompanied by a decrease in phospholipid synthesis.

Keywords: Portal hypertension; Free fatty acids; Diacylglycerides; Triglycerides; Phospholipids; Cholesterol