Source: Surgery  |  Posted 9 years ago

Reduction in kidney function can be delayed in compensated cirrhotic patients by stimulation of systemic nitric oxide production and increased dopaminergic function.

This was the finding of a study of 21 patients with cirrhosis and 10 healthy control subjects. Eleven of the subjects in the patient group had pre-ascitic cirrhosis and 10 had nonazotemic diuretic-free ascitic cirrhosis.

Nitric oxide plasma values and endogenous dopaminergic activity were significantly increased with respect to healthy controls. However, they were not different in the two groups of patients. The plasma nitric-oxide/plasma-renin-activity ratio was significantly higher in the group of compensated patients with respect to ascitic cirrhotics. Compared with compensated cirrhotics, patients with ascites showed significantly lower values of glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow.

Dr G Sanso