2026,
47(6):
787-798.
doi: 10.21656/1000-0887.460191
Abstract:
The non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is increasingly becoming a prevalent chronic liver condition worldwide. Although previous studies have focused on the relationship between liver injury and cardiac dysfunction, the specific underlying mechanisms remain inadequately elucidated. Hemodynamic changes, which are closely linked to cardiac dysfunction, may be a key influencing factor. Based on the structure and physiological functions of the cardiovascular system, an in vitro simulated circulatory system was constructed to replicate various hemodynamic parameters. Grouped experiments were conducted, to simulating 3 states: healthy, moderate and severe liver injuries, with real-time pressure and flow data collected for each group. The results show that, as the liver injury degree increases, the pressure in the ascending aorta and hepatic artery will rise. In the case of severe liver injury, the peak pressures in the ascending aorta and hepatic artery will increase by 25.7% and 19.3%, respectively, while the trough pressures will increase by 49.7% and 26.7%, respectively. Additionally, the average portal vein pressure significantly increases. Under liver injury conditions, the blood flow will be redistributed to other branches of the arterial system, with larger-diameter vessels experiencing greater flow increases. The blood flow in the brachiocephalic artery, the right common iliac artery, and the right renal artery will increase by approximately 15%, 12%, and 28%, respectively. Meanwhile, the flow in the hepatic artery and portal vein will decrease simultaneously, with the proportion of the hepatic artery flow to the total liver inflow remaining essentially at 20%. The discussion indicates that, the hemodynamic environmental changes induced by liver injury provide a basis for the development of cardiac dysfunction, such as cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, and complement the traditional theory of metabolic abnormalities to some extent. The findings offer hemodynamic evidences for understanding how liver injury leads to changes in cardiac function and hold certain clinical significance.
