Objective: To evaluate the effects of ischemic preconditioning (IP) on hepatocyte apoptosis in ischemia/reperfusion injury of grafted liver and clarify its mechanism.
Methods: Orthotopic liver transplantation with cuff anastomosing method for the portal vein, suprahepatic vena cava and infrahepatic vena cava in the rats were divided into two groups: with and without IP treatment. The parameters of liver function were determined by auto-biochemical analyser. The concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured with chromometry. The apoptotic hepatocytes in grafts liver were detected by flow cytometry combined with the in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-FITC nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method.
Results: The levels of AST, ALT, LDH in the serum, and MDA and apoptotic cells in the liver were significantly increased compared with normal values after ischemia/reperfusion to the grafted liver. After IP treatment, the levels of AST, ALT, LDH, MDA and apoptotic cells were significantly decreased.
Conclusion: IP can attenuate ischemia/reperfusion injury by alleviating lipid peroxide and decreasing apoptosis of hepatocytes.