Effect of increased hepatic platelet activating factor and its receptor portal hypertension in CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis

Figure 1 Morphometric analysis of cirrhotic liver 8 wk after CCl₄ or vehicle treatment (A) and scores for necroinflammatory NFS, architectural change, fibrosis and cirrhosis (AFCS) (B). ^bP < 0.01 vs control.

Figure 2 Effect of cirrhosis on circulating PAF levels. Concentrations of PAF in blood from femoral artery, portal and hepatic vein (suprahepatic vena cava) were determined. Values are mean±SD. ^aP < 0.05 vs control; ^bP < 0.01 vs control.

Figure 3 Effect of cirrhosis on hepatic PAF binding. A: Results of the saturation binding assay. ³H-PAF was incubated with 100 μg membrane protein, in the presence or absence of 10 μmol/L at 30 °C for 1 h; B: Scatchard plot analysis of ³H-PAF binding to hepatic tissue of cirrhotic and control rats. Values are mean of separate experiments. Cirrhosis: R = 0.98, Kd = 8.013 nmol/L, Bax = 2.8 ± 0.213 fmol/μg membrane protein; control: R = 0.99, Kd = 5.794 nmol/L, Bax = 0.9 ± 0.061 fmol/μg membrane protein.

Figure 4 Effect of cirrhosis on mRNA expression of hepatic PAF receptor. A: PCR products of PAF and β-actin from control (CT) and cirrhotic (CR) rat livers; B: ratio of the PAF receptor and β-actin mRNA from six samples. ^aP < 0.01 vs control.

Figure 5 Tracings of the femoral arterial and portal venous pressure. After stabilization of arterial and portal venous pressure, PAF (1 μg/kg WT) was infused and the pressure was recorded continuously.

Figure 6 Effect of cirrhosis on PAF-induced changes in arterial and portal pressure. Arterial and portal venous pressure before and after portal administration of PAF were measured. Values are mean ± SD of six determinations. ^aP < 0.05 vs basal value; ^bP < 0.01 vs basal value.

Figure 7 Effect of BN52021 on femoral arterial and portal venous pressure of cirrhotic rats 8 wk after vehicle or CCl₄ treatment. Values are mean±SD 5-6 min after introduction of BN52021. ^aP < 0.05 vs basal value.