Effect of portasystemic venous shunt surgery on hyperglucagonaemia in cirrhosis: paired studies of pre- and post-shunted subjects.

Abstract

The effect of liver disease on glucagon metabolism was examined in nine patients with chronic liver disease who were studied both before and after the creation of a surgical portasystemic shunt. Hepatocellular function did not deteriorate after shunt surgery. However, hepatic perfusion with splanchnic venous blood, as determined by scintisplenoportography, decreased after shunt surgery in six subjects but appeared unaltered in three. Basal plasma immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) levels in the pre-shunt cirrhotic group were significantly greater (p <0.005) than in control subjects and further increased (p 40 000 mol. wt. fraction was minimal. After shunt surgery, the relative proportion of the ..