Abstract
Introduction: Hepatic encephalopathy is a neurologic syndrome secondary to liver failure that causes cognitive and motor abnormalities. Impairment in the function of the first neuron of the motor tract (corticospinal tract) has been demonstrated in patients with cirrhosis and minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Aim: Investigate the function of the first neuron of the motor tract in experimental models of minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Material and methods: Rats with portocaval anastomosis (n=8) and rats with carbon tetrachloride induced cirrhosis (n=11) underwent neurophysiological recording under light anesthesia with propofol. Motor evoked potentials were elicited applying a transcranial electric pulse and were recorded in the tibialis anterior muscle. The effect of the dose of anesthesia was assessed in a group of normal rats (n=10). Results: Rats with portocaval anastomosis exhibited a decrease in motor evoked potentials amplitude following surgery (67±11 to 41±16%, P < 0.001). Cirrhotic rats exhibited an increase in motor evoked potentials latency after the appearance of ascites (4.65±0.43 to 5.15±0.67 ms., P=0.04). Increasing doses of propofol produced a decrease in the amplitude and an increase in the latency of motor evoked potentials. Conclusion: It is possible to reproduce functional abnormalities of the central motor tract in rats with portocaval anastomosis and carbon tetrachloride induced cirrhosis. The development of motor abnormalities in experimental models of minimal hepatic encephalopathy offers the possibility to investigate the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy and test therapeutic strategies.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams RD, Foley JM (1953) The neurological disorder associated with liver disease. Res Publ Assoc Res Nerv Ment Dis 32:198–237
Andrefsky JC, Frank JI (1997) Hepatic failure, encephalopathy, and deep tendon reflexes. Neurology 48:245
Bengtsson F, Bugge M, Brun A, Falck B, Henriksson KG, Nobin A (1988) The impact of time after portacaval shunt in the rat on behavior, brain serotonin, and brain and muscle histology. J Neurol Sci 83:109–122
Butterworth RF (2000) Hepatic encephalopathy: a neuropsychiatric disorder involving multiple neurotransmitter systems. Curr Opin Neurol 13:721–727
Butterworth RF (2003) Pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy: new insights from neuroimaging and molecular studies. J Hepatol 39:278–285
Chamuleau RA (1996) Animal models of hepatic encephalopathy. Semin Liver Dis 16:265–270
Cordoba J, Gottstein J, Blei AT (1997) Stenosis of a portocaval anastomosis affects circadian locomotor activity: A multivariable analysis. Am J Physiol 273:G1218–G1225
Cordoba J, Raguer N, Flavia M, Vargas V, Jacas C, Alonso J, Rovira A (2003a) T2 hyperintensity along the cortico-spinal tract in cirrhosis relates to functional abnormalities. Hepatology 38:1026–1033
Cordoba J, Raguer N, Flavia M, Vargas V, Jacas C, Alonso J, Rovira A (2003b) T2 hyperintesity along the cortico-spinal tract in cirrhosis relates to functional abnormalities. Hepatology 38:1026–1033
Erceg S, Monfort P, Hernandez-Viadel M, Rodrigo R, Montoliu C, Felipo V (2005) Oral administration of sildenafil restores learning ability in rats with hyperammonemia and with portacaval shunts. Hepatology 41:299–306
Fishback AS, Shields CB, Linden RD, Zhang YP, Burke D (1995) The effects of propofol on rat transcranial magnetic motor evoked potentials. Neurosurgery 37:969–974
Haghighi SS, Madsen R, Green KD, Oro JJ, Kracke GR (1990a) Suppression of motor evoked potentials by inhalation anesthetics. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol 2:73–78
Haghighi SS, Madsen R, Green KD, Oro JJ, Kracke GR (1990b) Suppression of motor evoked potentials by inhalation anesthetics. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol 2:73–78
Haghighi SS, Sirintrapun SJ, Keller BP, Oro JJ, Madsen R (1996a) Effect of desflurane anesthesia on transcortical motor evoked potentials. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol 8:47–51
Haghighi SS, Sirintrapun SJ, Keller BP, Oro JJ, Madsen R (1996b) Effect of desflurane anesthesia on transcortical motor evoked potentials. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol 8:47–51
Haussinger D, Kircheis G, Fischer R, Schliess F, vom Dahl S (2000) Hepatic encephalopathy in chronic liver disease: a clinical manifestation of astrocyte swelling and low-grade cerebral edema? J Hepatol 32:1035–1038
Hawkins P, DeJoseph MR, Hawkins RA (1996) Eliminating metabolic abnormalities of portacaval shunting by restoring normal liver blood fow. Am J Physiol 270:E1037–E1042
Hess CW, Mills KR, Murray NM (1987) Responses in small hand muscles from magnetic stimulation of human brain. J Physiol 388:397–419
Keller BP, Haghighi SS, Oro JJ, Eggers GW, Jr (1992) The effects of propofol anesthesia on transcortical electric evoked potentials in the rat. Neurosurgery 30:557–560
Lee SH, Fisher B (1961) Portacaval shunt in the rat. Surgery 50:668–672
Lopez-Vales R, Garcia-Alias G, Fores J, Udina E, Gold BG, Navarro X, Verdu E (2005) FK 506 reduces tissue damage and prevents functional deficit after spinal cord injury in the rat. J Neurosci Res 81:827–836
Lorenzo-Zuniga V, Bartoli R, Planas R, Hofmann AF, Vinado B, Hagey LR, Hernandez JM, Mane J, Alvarez MA, Ausina V, Gassull MA (2003) Oral bile acids reduce bacterial overgrowth, bacterial translocation, and endotoxemia in cirrhotic rats. Hepatology 37:551–557
Montagnese S, Amodio P, Morgan MY (2004) Methods for diagnosing hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis: a multidimensional approach. Metab Brain Dis 19:281–312
Mullen KD, McCullough AJ (1989) Problems with animal models of chronic liver disease: suggestions for improvement in standardization. Hepatology 9:500–503
Picardi A, de Oliveira AC, Muguerza B, Tosar A, Quiroga J, Castilla-Cortazar I, Santidrian S, Prieto J (1997) Low doses of insulin-like growth factor-I improve nitrogen retention and food efficiency in rats with early cirrhosis. J Hepatol 26:191–202
Pilbeam CM, Anderson RM, Bhathal PS (1983) The brain in experimental portal-systemic encephalopathy. I. Morphological changes in three animal models. J Pathol 140:331–345
Popken RJ, Kropveld D, Oosting J, Chamuleau RA (1983) Quantitative analysis of EEG power spectra in experimental hepatic encephalopathy. Neuropsychobiology 9:235–243
Rovira A, Cordoba J, Sanpedro F, Grive E, Rovira-Gols A, Alonso J (2002) Normalization of T2 signal abnormalities in hemispheric white matter with liver transplant. Neurology 59:335–341
Schlag MG, Hopf R, Redl H (2001) Serial recording of sensory, corticomotor, and brainstem-derived motor evoked potentials in the rat. Somatosens Mot Res 18:106–116
Servin F, Cockshott ID, Farinotti R, Haberer JP, Winckler C, Desmonts JM (1990) Pharmacokinetics of propofol infusions in patients with cirrhosis. Br J Anaesth 65:177–183
Zandieh S, Hopf R, Redl H, Schlag MG (2003a) The effect of ketamine/xylazine anesthesia on sensory and motor evoked potentials in the rat. Spinal Cord 41:16–22
Zandieh S, Hopf R, Redl H, Schlag MG (2003b) The effect of ketamine/xylazine anesthesia on sensory and motor evoked potentials in the rat. Spinal Cord 41:16–22
Zwingmann C, Chatauret N, Leibfritz D, Butterworth RF (2003) Selective increase of brain lactate synthesis in experimental acute liver failure: results of a [H-C] nuclear magnetic resonance study. Hepatology 37:420–428
Acknowledgments
Study supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (C03/02; G03/155; FIS 05-1109; FIS 05-900). NC is a recipient of intraeuropean Marie Curie fellowship (2005-515397).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Oria, M., Raguer, N., Chatauret, N. et al. Functional abnormalities of the motor tract in the rat after portocaval anastomosis and after carbon tetrachloride induction of cirrhosis. Metab Brain Dis 21, 297–308 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-006-9036-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-006-9036-z