Increased Sympathetic Nervous Activity and the Effects of Its Inhibition with Clonidine in Alcoholic Cirrhosis

Abstract

The sympathetic nerves to the kidneys, heart, and hepatomesenteric circulation are stimulated in patients with cirrhosis. Clonidine inhibits these activated sympathetic outflows differentially, which could possibly provide a basis for the selective pharmacologic treatment of portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis.