Treatment with the leukotriene inhibitor montelukast for 10 days attenuates portal hypertension in rat liver cirrhosis
Christian J. Steib, Manfred Bilzer, Mark op den Winkel, Susanne Pfeiler, Anna C. Hartmann, Martin Hennenberg, Burkhard Göke, Alexander L. Gerbes – 23 May 2010 – The mechanisms underlying intrahepatic vasoconstriction are not fully elucidated. Here we investigated the Kupffer cell (KC)‐dependent increase in portal pressure by way of actions of vasoconstrictive cysteinyl leukotrienes (Cys‐LTs). Liver cirrhosis was induced in rats by bile duct ligation (BDL for 4 weeks; controls: sham‐operation) and thioacetamide application (18 weeks).