Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Invasive Hemodynamic Characterization of the Portal-hypertensive Syndrome in Cirrhotic Rats
Published on: August 1, 2018
Effect of ivabradine, a funny current inhibitor, on portal hypertensive rats
Ching-Chih Chang1,2, Wen-Shin Lee1,2, Chiao-Lin Chuang1,2
1Divisions of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Background:
Ivabradine is a funny current inhibitor which is administered to patients with congestive heart failure to reduce their heart rate (HR) and attenuate oxidative stress. Chronic liver diseases are characterized by portal hypertension and hyperdynamic circulation with tachycardia. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of ivabradine on portal hypertension.
Methods:
Male Sprague-Dawley rats received partial portal vein ligation (PVL) to induce portal hypertension. The PVL rats were randomly allocated to receive either vehicle or ivabradine treatment for 10 days. Then the hemodynamic data were collected. The levels of oxidative stress markers and the mRNA expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were measured in the collateral vessel, the superior mesentery artery and the liver. In addition, the collateral vascular responsiveness to arginine vasopressin (AVP) was examined in the ivabradine-treated and vehicle-treated PVL rats.
Results:
Treatment with ivabradine significantly lowered the HR (174 ± 20 vs. 374 ± 9 beats/min; p < 0.001) and the superior mesentery arterial flow (SMAf) (6.6 ± 0.3 vs. 9.1 ± 0.7 mL/min/100 g BW; p = 0.005) of the PVL rats compared with the control group. The mean arterial pressure, cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance, portal pressure and serum levels of oxidative stress markers were not significantly affected by ivabradine treatment. In addition, the NOS expression and collateral vascular responsiveness to AVP were not significantly influenced by ivabradine treatment, either.
Conclusion:
Ivabradine reduced the HR and SMAf in PVL rats, which alleviated the hyperdynamic circulatory state and splanchnic hyperemia of portal hypertension. However, whether these effects would help alleviate portal hypertension-related complications requires further clinical investigations.
More Related Videos
06:20Contrast-Enhanced Subharmonic Aided Pressure Estimation SHAPE Using Ultrasound Imaging with a Focus on Identifying Portal Hypertension
Published on: December 5, 2020
07:29The Left Pneumonectomy Combined with Monocrotaline or Sugen as a Model of Pulmonary Hypertension in Rats
Published on: March 8, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
Among the PDE5 inhibitors, sildenafil (Revatio) stands out as a competitive and selective inhibitor. It operates by elevating cellular levels of cGMP and augmenting signaling through the cGMP-PKG pathway, promoting vasodilation. Upon oral...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
Hepatic Portal System
At its core, the hepatic portal vein is the result of a confluence of the superior and inferior mesenteric veins along with the splenic vein. Each of these veins has a unique role. The superior mesenteric vein is...
Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a...
Hypertension I: Introduction
Hypertension II: Pathophysiology