Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2026

Visualization and Analysis of Blood Flow and Oxygen Consumption in Hepatic Microcirculation: Application to an Acute Hepatitis Model
Published on: August 4, 2012
Distribution of pressure gradients along hepatic vasculature
1Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, USA.
Abstract:
To test the hypothesis that the hepatic sinusoidal pressure is virtually identical to the portal venous pressure (Ppv) or the abdominal vena caval pressure (Pave), microvascular pressures were measured in liver vascular networks supplied by a single portal venule near the liver surface of alpha-chloralose-urethan-anesthetized rabbits. With the use of a servo-null pressure-measuring system, the pressures in terminal portal venules, sinusoids, and initial hepatic venules averaged 5.7 +/- 0.8 (SD), 5.4 +/- 0.7, and 4.7 +/- 0.6 mmHg, respectively, relative to the middle of the right atrium. The mean Ppv was 7.7 +/- 1.1 mmHg and the Pave was 3.9 +/- 0.7 mmHg. The sinusoidal pressure (Psinu) averaged 2.33 +/- 1.04 mmHg lower than the Ppv, and 1.54 +/- 0.63 mmHg higher than the Pave. The pressure gradient across the sinusoids averaged < 1 mmHg. The fractional pressure gradient from the sinusoids to the vena cava averaged 41 +/- 15% of the total Ppv to Pave gradient. We conclude that most of the transhepatic resistance cannot be attributed to a specific vascular segment or vessel type and that sinusoidal pressures are not closely similar to either the Ppv or the Pave, as is often assumed.
Related Concept Videos
Blood Flow
Veins of the Abdomen and Pelvis
The inferior vena cava is fed by numerous smaller veins. The lumbar veins, for instance, drain the posterior abdominal wall, emptying both directly into the inferior vena cava and into 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 responsible...
Gross Anatomy of the Liver
Located under the diaphragm, the liver is almost entirely ensconced within the rib cage, providing it with substantial protection. Except for the superior most bare area, the liver's surface is covered...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow
Portal Hypertension

