American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 13, 68-74, Copyright © 1963 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

The Effect of Ethanol Upon Systemic and Hepatic Blood Flow in Man

¹ From the Thorndike Memorial Laboratory and the Second and Fourth (Harvard) Medical Services, Boston City Hospital, the Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts and Seton Hall College of Medicine, Jersey City, New Jersey

The use of indocyanine green in the constant infusion method of estimating hepatic blood flow is described. In nine subjects under control conditions, the mean hepatic blood flow was found to be 0.92 L. per minute per M². In eight subjects in whom cardiac output was determined simultaneously, the mean hepatic flow was 0.83 L. per minute per M². and the corresponding mean cardiac output 3.38 L. per minute per M². The mean hepatic flow fraction in these eight subjects was 0.240.

During infusion of ethanol at a rate of 0.5 to 0.8 gm. per minute the mean hepatic blood flow rose to 1.09 L. per minute per M². and the corresponding total cardiac output to 4.46 L. per minute per M². The hepatic flow fraction remained essentially constant at 0.246.

Ethanol had no significant effect on systemic arterial or hepatic venous pressures. Changes in calculated peripheral and splanchnic vascular resistance were inversely proportional to the effects upon flow.

These results suggest that the net effect of ethanol upon the hepatic circulation is proportional to that upon the systemic circulation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Z. Huang and A. Sjoholm Ethanol Acutely Stimulates Islet Blood Flow, Amplifies Insulin Secretion, and Induces Hypoglycemia via Nitric Oxide and Vagally Mediated Mechanisms Endocrinology, January 1, 2008; 149(1): 232 - 236. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]