Abstract:

As two important metabolic organs of human body, the liver and the kidney are closely associated with each other in hemodynamic and immunological mechanisms. Hepatorenal syndrome is one of the most common kidney damages secondary to liver cirrhosis, whose major physiopathologic manifestation is sodium retention. Although many aspects of the pathogenesis in cirrhosis and hepatorenal syndrome are understood, the stimulus that initiates and maintains sodium retention remains unknown. The article reviews mechanisms of sodium retention in cirrhosis and hepatorenal syndrome.