Systemic prostacyclin in cirrhotic patients

ABSTRACT

A study of urinary excretion of 6-ketoprostaglandin F1oc in cirrhotic patients as a reliable index of systemic prostacyclin was done in order to understand the mechanism responsible for renal vascular homeostasis in cirrhotic patients. The study was done on 20 patients with cirrhosis and 20 control normal children. Patients without ascites and ascitic patients without renal failure showed increased urinary excretion of immunoreactive 6-ketoprostaglandin F1oc that was believed to reflect renal prostaglandin production and was found to be significantly increased in patients without ascites and in ascetic patients with preserved renal function. Increased renal production of vasodilator prostaglandin in cirrhosis was commonly interpreted as a defence against vasoconstrictor influences on renal hemodynamics. Enhanced renal prostaglandin synthesis in cirrhosis occurs either independently of elevated vasoconstrictor hormones or the activated vasoconstrictor systems enhance prostaglandin synthesis as a compensatory mechanism