The changes in hepatic hemodynamics and hepatic energy charge (blood ketone body ratio) induced by vasopressin infusion in chronic liver disease

We evaluated the changes in the hepatic hemodynamics and blood ketone body ratio (KBR) induced by vasopressin in 40 patients with chronic liver diseases to clarify the effect of hepatic blood flow on hepatic energy charge expressed by KBR. Following infusion of vasopressin, the rate of decrease in portal blood flow in liver cirrhosis (LC) was significantly lower than that in chronic hepatitis (CH). Moreover, the blood flow in the hepatic artery after vasopressin infusion was greater in LC than in CH. As a result, the total hepatic blood flow, which was the sum of the flow in the above two vessels, after vasopressin infusion was greater in LC than in CH but the decrease in the blood KBR was not significant in LC. Thus, vasopressin appears to be hemodynamically safe in patients with LC, but caution is needed since it may decrease blood pressure, total hepatic blood flow and KBR in some LC patients.