Table 1. Target molecules and experimental approaches/drugs that are reported to decrease portal pressure.

(See below-mentioned references for further information.)

Target molecules	Approaches/drugs
Intrahepatic circulation
Nitric oxide (NO)/endothelial NO synthase (eNOS)	Statins [111], eNOS gene transfer [112], neuronal NOS gene transfer [113], Akt gene transfer [114], tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) [115,116]
TXA2	COX-1 inhibitor (SC-560) [117], PGH2/TXA2 receptor blocker (SQ-29548) [118]
Superoxide radicals	Antioxidants: vitamin C [119], vitamin E [120], superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene transfer [121], SOD mimetic [121,122], N-acetylcysteine [123]
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)	Sodium hydrogen sulfide [124]
Notch 1	Notch 1 KO mice [79]
Nogo-B	Nogo-B KO mice [125]
Toll like receptor 4	TLR4 mutant mice [126]
The farnesoid-X-receptor (FXR)	A selective FXR agonist, obeticholic acid (INT-747) [102]
Splanchnic and systemic circulation
Cannabinoid receptor type 2(CB2) receptor	CB2 receptor agonist (JWH-015) [89]
RhoA/Rho-kinase	Neuropeptide Y [68]
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)	PPARγ agonist (pioglitazone) [127]
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)	Anti-VEGFR2 monoclonal antibody (SU5416) [82,128], receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (sorafenib [87,88], sunitinib [129])
Placental growth factor (PIGF)	PlGF KO mice and anti-PIGF monoclonal antibody [84]
Apelin	Apelin antagonist (F13A) [86]