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Updated: Oct 9, 2026

A Model of Cardiac Remodeling Through Constriction of the Abdominal Aorta in Rats
Published on: December 2, 2016
[Effects of blood volume expansion on atrial natriuretic factor and the renin-aldosterone axis in experimental
J J Sebastián Domingo1, F Barrao Comps, F Esteva Díaz
1Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital General Miguel Servet, Zaragoza.
Abstract:
Serum concentrations of ANF, Renin and Aldosterone were measured in animals with experimental cirrhosis and volume overload. We studied 75 Wistar rats divided in five groups. Group I: rats with hepatic cirrhosis induced by CCl4; Group II: Control rats; Group III: rats with hepatic cirrhosis and continuous infusion of saline serum; Group IV: control rats with continuous infusion and Group V: cirrhotic rats and bolus infusion of saline. There were no statistical differences in serum concentrations of ANF (232 +/- 75 vs 195 +/- 42 pg/ml) and Renin concentration (182 +/- 24 vs 171 +/- 34 ng/ml/hour) between controls and rats with cirrhosis. However, Aldosterone levels were elevated in cirrhotic rats in basal conditions as compared to controls (1197 +/- 287 vs 475 +/- 88 pg/ml; p < 0.001). The volume overload caused a paradoxical decrease of ANF in cirrhotic rats (124 +/- 15 and 122 +/- 17; p < 0.001). On the other hand, no changes were observed in Renin and Aldosterone after volume expansion. These results suggest the existence of a hemodynamic response to compensate the volume overload. Other studies are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.
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