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Effects of propranolol on gastric mucosal perfusion and serum gastrin level in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertensive gastropathy

  • Liver: Cirrhosis, Fibrosis, Portal Hypertension, And Transplantation
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Abstract

Gastric mucosal hyperemia associated with elevated serum gastrin level has been suggested in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG). Clinical evidence has shown that these patients may benefit from propranolol administration. The aim of this study was to investigate effect of propranolol on gastric mucosal perfusion and serum gastrin level in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertensive gastropathy. Gastric mucosal perfusion was assessed by laser Doppler flowmetry. Measurements were performed under basal conditions and after observer-blind administration of propranolol (30–60 mg/day,N=9) or placebo (N=9) for seven days. Placebo had no effect on either gastric mucosal perfusion or serum gastrin level. In contrast, propranolol administration significantly decreased both antrum gastric mucosal perfusion (from 0.88±0.28 to 0.73±0.26 V,P<0.05) and corpus gastric mucosal perfusion (from 0.94±0.35 to 0.78±0.25 V,P<0.05). However, this drug had no effect on serum gastrin level. We conclude that chronic propranolol administration in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertensive gastropathy may reduce gastric mucosal perfusion without changing serum gastrin level.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Department of Medicine II, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan

    Hiroyuki Shigemori MD, Tadashi Iwao MD, Motoki Ikegami MD, Atsushi Toyonaga MD & Kyuichi Tanikawa MD

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  1. Hiroyuki Shigemori MD
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  2. Tadashi Iwao MD
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  3. Motoki Ikegami MD
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  4. Atsushi Toyonaga MD
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  5. Kyuichi Tanikawa MD
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Shigemori, H., Iwao, T., Ikegami, M. et al. Effects of propranolol on gastric mucosal perfusion and serum gastrin level in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertensive gastropathy. Digest Dis Sci 39, 2433–2438 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02087662

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02087662

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