AIM To investigate the effects of low dosage of nitric oxide synthesis (NOS) inhibitor NG-nitro-L-argininemethyl ester (L-NAME) in long-term treatment on hyperdynamic circulatory state in rats with cirrhosis.METHODS Cirrhosis model was induced in male SD rats by injection of 60% CC14 oily solutionsubcutaneously. Cirrhotic rats were treated with L-NAME (0.5 mg·kg-1·d-1) by gavage for two weeks. Meanarterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI), splanchnic vascular resistance (SVR),splanchnic blood flow (SBF) and serum NO levels were determinded in L-NAME-treated, L-NAME-untreated cirrhotic rats and controls by using 57Co-Labled microsphere technique and a fluorometric assay,respectively.RESULTS Untreated cirrhotic rats had significantly lower MAP, SVR and higher PP, CO, CI, SBF andNO concentration than controls ( 14.42±0,47 kPa vs 17.05±0.34 kPa, 2.974±0.186 kPa·mL-1·min-1 vs4.234±0.118 kPa·mL-1·min-1, 1.665±0.067 kPa vs 1.123±0.096 kPa, 189.99±9.26 mL/min vs 135.5±3.55 mL/min, 55.89±1.82 mL-1·min-1·100g-1 BW vs 39.68±1.64 mL-1·min-1·100g-1 BW, 4.60±1.25μmol/L vs 0.53±0.26 μmol/L, P