Portal Hypertension Induced Changes in Splenic Gene Expression

Splenomegaly is caused by several pathological conditions, including portal hypertension, which is most frequently caused by chronic liver disease (e.g., liver cirrhosis). The detailed mechanisms through which portal pressure induces splenomegaly and the precise pathophysiological conditions in portal hypertension-induced splenomegaly remain to be fully elucidated. We used microarrays to identify the differential gene expression underlying the portal hypertension-induced splenomegaly. Transcriptomic profile of whole spleen tissues from three male Sprague–Dawley rats with partial portal vein ligation (PPVL) as well as from the three sham rats as controls.