OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of sodium ferulate on the hemodynamics of hepatic cirrhosis patients.

METHODSEighty-two hepatic cirrhosis patients were randomly assigned to two groups, the 27 patients in the control group were treated by conventional liver protecting therapy, and the 55 patients in the treated group were treated with sodium ferulate besides the conventional therapy. The therapeutic course for both groups was two weeks. The following indexes were measured before treatment and two weeks after treatment respectively: inner diameter of portal vein (PV), inner diameter of splenic vein (SPV), maximum portal vein flow rate (PVX), maximum splenic vein flow rate (SPVX), portal vein blood flow (QPV) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentration. The adverse effect was observed meanwhile.

RESULTSIn the treated group after treatment, levels of PV, SPV and ET-1 decreased (P < 0.01), PVX and SPVX increased significantly (P < 0.01), but QPV was unchanged; while no significant change of all the indexes was found in the control group (P > 0.05). Further analysis showed that in the treated group, PV, SPV and ET-1 decreased significantly in patients of Child grade A and B (P <0. 01), but QPV changed insignificantly (P > 0.05, and all indexes were unchanged in patients of Child grade C (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSodium ferulate can effectively lower the pressure of portal vein in hepatic cirrhosis patients without any influence on the blood flow of portal vein, the effect is more significant on patients of Child grade A and B.