Table 2.
eNOS related parameters in rat livers: caveolin-1, endothelin-1, as well as SOD total activity and malondialdehyde levels.
| Normal | PPVL | CCl4 cirrhosis | |
| (n = 9) | (n = 5) | (n = 9) | |
| Body weight (g) | 272 (10) | 280 (13) | 355 (58)* |
| Liver weight (g) | 10.4 (0.8) | 9.7 (0.9) | 14.8 (5.6) |
| Portal venous pressure (mm Hg) | 5.0 (1.1) | 9.9 (1.5)* | 11.0 (2.9)* |
| cDNA dilutions still detecting caveolin-1 by RT-PCR | 128 [4–512] | 32 [8–256] | 384 [128–2048] |
| cDNA dilutions still detecting endothelin-1 by RT-PCR | 8 [0–64] | 13 [2–144] | 310 [16–512]* |
| SOD total activity (U/mg protein) | 15 (7) | 14 (3) | 10 (3)* |
| Malondialdehyde (pmol/mg liver) | 15 [2–20] | 8 [4–16] | 26 [6–130]* |
* p < 0.05 as compared with normal group. PPVL: partial portal vein ligation (= model of prehepatic portal hypertension). CCl4 cirrhosis: carbon tetrachloride induced cirrhosis. Livers of normal and two types of portal hypertensive rats used for the study of eNOS related parameters: caveolin-1 and endothelin-1 as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde levels. For cDNA dilutions see Methods. Data are expressed as mean (SD) for normally distributed data or median [range] for not normally distributed data.