Acute Portal Hypertension after Gastric Administration of Ethanol in the Pig

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Abstract
A single gastric administration of 15 ml/kg of 40% ethanol to anesthetized pigs resulted in an increased portal venous blood pressure which increased with increasing blood alcohol levels. For the first 2 h there was no significant alteration in liver blood flow, but 3 h after administration of ethanol, when portal blood pressure reached its highest values, liver blood flow had decreased. This was probably caused by increased hepatic vascular resistance as shown in electron thin-section phase-contrast microscopy which showed marked hepatocyte swelling, narrowing of the sinusoids and platelet aggregates in small portal branches.