The Effect of Noradrenaline and Adrenaline on Hepatosplanchnic Hemodynamics, Functional Capacity of the Liver and Hepatic Metabolism

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Abstract
Cats in the postabsorptive state and anesthetized with chloralose were used for the experiments. Following a control period noradrenaline and adrenaline at doses of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 μg/kg/min were infused continuously for about an hour into a femoral vein. Noradrenaline caused a pronounced constriction of the hepatic artery and a slight increase in the mesenteric vascular resistance. Small doses of adrenaline had a slight dilatory effect on the hepatic artery and mesenteric vessels whereas the largest dose caused a slight constriction in both these vascular beds. Neither of the drugs changed the portal venous resistance. The catecholamine infusions resulted in hepatic glycogenosis and glycolysis, but neither the splanchnic elimination of ethanol, the secretion and composition of bile, excretion of Indocyanine Green nor the splanchnic oxygen consumption were affected, indicating that the number of sinusoids perfused was not changed. A slight effect on the hepatic clearance and extraction ratio of Indocyanine Green was, however, observed. The results indicate that although the infusion of catecholamines in the present doses is accompanied by marked changes in hepato‐splanchnic hemodynamics and liver metabolism, the intrahepatic distribution of blood flow is not subject to gross alterations. The existance of catecholamine dependent sphincter activity in the hepatic sinusoids observed in transillumination studies have not been confirmed by the present experiments.