Mild hypothermia protects liver against ischemia and reperfusion injury.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether mild hypothermia could protect liver against ischemia and reperfusion injury in pigs.


METHODS
Twenty-four healthy pigs were randomly divided into normothermia, mild hypothermia and normal control groups. The experimental procedure consisted of temporary interruption of blood flow to total hepatic lobe for different lengths of time and subsequent reperfusion. Hepatic tissue oxygen pressure (PtiO2) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) values were evaluated, and ultrastructural analysis was carried out for all samples.


RESULTS
Serum AST was significantly lower, and hepatic PtiO2 values were significantly higher in the mild hypothermia group than in the normothermia group during liver ischemia-reperfusion periods (P=0.032, P=0.028). Meanwhile, the histopathologic injury of liver induced by ischemia-reperfusion was significantly improved in the mild hypothermia group, compared with that in the normothermia group.


CONCLUSIONS
Mild hypothermia can protect the liver from ischemia-reperfusion injury in pigs.
Wang
Cheng-You
CY
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518029, Guangdong Province, China. chengyouw@163.com
Ni
Yong
Y
Liu
Yan
Y
Huang
Zhi-Heng
ZH
Zhang
Min-Jie
MJ
Zhan
Yong-Qiang
YQ
Gao
Hai-Bin
HB
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013552:Swine
D010100:Oxygen