[Effect of cimetidine on wedged hepatic venous pressure in cirrhotic patients]

Basing on our supposition that "humoral mechanism" played an important role in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension due to cirrhosis, antagonists to some of these humoral substances (HS) would have a lowering effect on the portal pressure in cirrhotic patients. The wedged hepatic venous pressure (WHVP) was used as an indicator in reflecting the changes of portal pressure. Cimetidine was given intravenously to 8 cirrhotic patients, an average lowering of 0.72 kPa (7.3 cm H2O) of WHVP was observed. This was of clinical significance as compared with the previous results of splenorenal shunting operations.