NOREPINEPHRINE UPTAKE IS ENHANCED IN DISCRETE TELENCEPHALIC AND DIENCEPHALIC AREAS AND NUCLEI IN PREHEPATIC PORTAL HYPERTENSIVE RATS

Several evidences support the hypothesis that central catecholamines m ay play a significant role in the production and/or maintenance of dif ferent alterations that characterize portal hypertension. The aim of t he present work was to study the possible modifications in norepinephr ine (NE) metabolism in several telencephalic and diencephalic areas ri ch in NE in experimental prehepatic portal hypertension. NE uptake was studied as an index of NE metabolism. The experiments were carried ou t in vitro in encephalic areas and nuclei, obtained according to the p unch-out technique. Results indicated that portal hypertensive rats sh owed an enhancement of NE uptake in olfactory bulb (OB), preoptic area (PA), and supraoptic, periventricular, paraventricular, and arcuate n uclei (SON, PeVN, PaVN, and AN, respectively) compared to sham-operate d rats, However, no modifications on NE uptake was observed in the med ian eminence (ME). Present results suggest that the changes observed i n central NE uptake may be related to the development and/or maintenan ce of the portal hypertensive state. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.