THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF PENTOXIFYLLINE AND L-ARGININE ON 60 MINUTES NORMOTHERMIC LIVER ISCHEMIA AND REPERFUSION INJURY IN RATS
AKIN ÖZDEN1, AŞKIN KARACA2, AYŞE BİLGİHAN3, ZUHAL YUMBUL4, NURTEN TÜRKÖZKAN3
1Pamukkale Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Genel Cerrahi ABD, DENİZLİ
2Fırat Üniv. Tıp Fak. Gen. Cer. ABD, ELAZIĞ
3Gazi Üniv. Tıp Fak. Biyokimya ABD, ANKARA
4Fırat Üniv. Tıp Fak. Patoloji ABD, ELAZIĞ
Abstract
We investigated the protective effects of pentoxifylline and L-arginine, a precursor of nitric oxide, on 60 minutes normothermic liver ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats. Hepatic artery, vena porta and common bile duct were clamped at the level of hilus for 60 minutes with atraumatic microvascular clamp and followed by 2 hours of reperfusion. Liver tissue samples were removed for malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) determinations, and histopathological examination. Four groups of 10 rats each were constituted: Group 1: (Sham operated: No IR injury), Group 2: (Control: saline treatment), Group 3: (Pentoxifylline treatment) and Group 4: (L-arginine treatment).
There were significant increases in tissue MDA levels, more cellular damage and significant decrease in tissue GSH levels in control group, when compared with other groups (p<0.05). Our results demonstrated that pentoxifylline and L-arginine are able to protect the liver from normothermic ischemia and reperfusion injury.
Keywords: LIVER ISCHEMIA, ISCHEMIA REPERFUSION INJURY, PENTOXIFYLLINE, NITRIC OXIDE, L-ARGININE