Chronic prehepatic portal hypertension in the rat: is it a type of Metabolic Inflammatory Syndrome?

BACKGROUND: A progressive development of hepatic steatosis with an increase in the lipid hepatocyte content and the formation of megamitochondria have been demonstrated in rats with prehepatic portal hypertension. The aim of this study is to verify the existence of liver and serum lipid metabolism impairments in rats with long-term (2 years) portal hypertension. METHODS: Male Wistar rats: Control (n = 10) and with prehepatic portal hypertension by triple partial portal vein ligation (n = 9) were used. Liver content of Triglycerides (TG), phospholipids (PL) and cholesterol and serum cholesterol, lipoproteins (HDL and LDL), TG, glucose and Lipid Binding Protein (LBP) were assayed with specific colorimetric commercial kits. Serum levels of insulin and somatostatin were assayed by RIA. RESULTS: The liver content of TG (6.30 ± 1.95 vs. 4.17 ± 0.59 μg/ml; p < 0.01) and cholesterol (1.48 ± 0.15 vs. 1.10 ± 0.13 μg/ml; p < 0.001) increased in rats with portal hypertension. The serum levels of cholesterol (97.00+26.02 vs. 114.78 ± 37.72 mg/dl), TG (153.41 ± 80.39 vs. 324.39 ± 134.9 mg/dl; p < 0.01), HDL (20.45 ± 5.14 vs. 55.15 ± 17.47 mg/dl; p < 0.001) and somatostatin (1.32 ± 0.31 vs. 1.59 +0.37 mg/dl) decreased, whereas LDL (37.83 ± 15.39 vs. 16.77 ± 6.81 mg/dl; p < 0.001) and LBP (308.47 ± 194.53 vs. 60.27 ± 42.96 ng/ml; p < 0.001) increased. CONCLUSION: Portal hypertension in the rat presents changes in the lipid and carbohydrate metabolisms similar to those produced in chronic inflammatory conditions and sepsis in humans. These underlying alterations could be involved in the development of hepatic steatosis and, therefore, in those described in the metabolic syndrome in humans.