Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

16 patients with acute hepatitis, 18 patients with cirrhosis and a total of 21 volunteers and patients with normal liver function received 7.32 mg/kg hexobarbital by linear intravenous infusion within 60 min. Hexobarbital was determined gaschromatographically in serial blood samples and the hexobarbital-clearance was calculated from the plasma concentration curve versus time. Additional experiments were performed in rats suffering from so called "galactosamine hepatitis". In half of the patients with acute hepatitis a normal hexobarbital clearance could be found. In the other patients this was distinctly reduced but not correlation was found to other liver function tests. Patients with cirrhosis were subdivided into two groups. The patients in group 1 were well compensated. The patients in group 2 had a decompensated state with ascites and oesophageal varices. In nearly all patients with cirrhosis the hexobarbital-clearance was diminished. This was more pronounced in group 2. Ketohexobarbital excretion in healthy subjects was in the range of 40-60% of dose. Patients with acute hepatitis excreted only 10-20% of dose and patients with liver cirrhosis only about 5% of dose. In rats with "galactosamine hepatitis" hexobarbital clearance in vivo was distinctly reduced and this could be explained by diminished microsomal cytochrome p 45- and hexobarbital oxidation rate.
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PMID:[Metabolism of hexobarbital in patients with acute hepatitis and cirrhosis (author's transl)]. 88 88

The clearance of a drug predominantly metabolized in the liver may serve as an estimate of quantitative liver function. In 260 consecutive patients presenting with a history of liver disease and abnormal laboratory findings but without a current definite diagnosis we have measured the clearance of hexobarbital and investigated if low values in patients are able to support the decision for an invasive diagnostic procedure such as needle biopsy or laparoscopy. 250 mg of hexobarbital was given orally to the patients between 8 and 10 hrs p.m. 12 hrs later blood samples were taken. Hexobarbital was determined by gas chromatography with N-selective detection, and a single point clearance was calculated. We recommended liver biopsy or laparoscopy to all patients with a hexobarbital clearance below 2.7 ml/min/kg body weight (normal 2.66-5.34 ml/min/kg). 73 out of 260 patients showed a reduced hexobarbital clearance. In 44 patients blind liver biopsy (n = 14) or laparoscopy (n = 30) was performed, 29 patients refused an invasive diagnostic procedure. 17 out of 26 patients with the tentative diagnosis chronic hepatitis had already an incomplete or complete liver cirrhosis. In 11 out of 18 patients with the tentative diagnosis alcohol toxic liver injury we found a progressive portal fibrosis or complete liver cirrhosis. Reduced drug clearance reflecting quantitative liver function can be an indicator of advanced liver disease, thus adding substantially to the decision for further invasive diagnostic procedures.
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PMID:[Drug clearance as a decision aid for further invasive liver diagnosis--studies with hexobarbital as a model substrate]. 138 17

Four pharmacons were tested on an acute portal pressure lowering effect in an experimental animal model with 25 normal and 25 rats with Thioacetamide-toxic liver cirrhosis. Invasive measurements of arterial and portal pressure were made under Hexobarbital-Sodium anaesthesia during 30 minutes after pharmacon application. The portal pressure of cirrhotic rats was under basic conditions 9.5 +/- 1.5 mm Hg and significant higher as in normal animals (5.3 +/- 0.9 mm Hg, p less than 0.01). After 10 mg/kg body mass Propranolol the portal pressure decreased in both animal groups small but not significantly over the whole measurement time. 1 mg/kg Verapamil lowered arterial middle pressure significantly, but increased portal pressure at all 15-20% in both animal groups. Application of 0.1 mg/kg Prazosin decreased the arterial middle pressure at all 5-15% and the portal pressure at all 20-30% in both study groups (both significantly). For Canrenoat-Potassium (20 mg/kg) no clear effect could by evaluated on portal pressure. The model of Thioacetamide-toxic cirrhosis of the rat offers conditions like cirrhosis in human medicine in order to study the effects of portal pressure lowering pharmacons. Propranolol and Prazosin decrease portal pressure and should by further investigated.
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PMID:[Pharmacological lowering of portal pressure in normal rats and in experimental liver cirrhosis]. 181 60