Hepatic extraction of hyaluronic acid in porcine peritonitis

The hepatic extraction of hyaluronic acid (HA) was studied in porcine fecal peritonitis in two groups of animals given various amounts of volume substitution. There was a progressive decrease in hepatic blood flow (QH) and a corresponding increase in the plasma concentration of HA in arterial blood over a 5-hour observation period, less pronounced in animals given more volume substitution. While hepatic clearance of HA decreased, the extraction ratio over the liver was not altered. The extracted amount of HA, which at steady state reflects the turnover of HA, was also unchanged. There was a significant correlation between QH and arterial HA concentration (r = 0.57; p < 0.05). The data suggest that the arterial HA concentration in sepsis reflects QH rather than an altered ability of the liver to eliminate HA.