title: Lidocaïne test for easier and less time consuming assessment of liver function in several hepatic injury models.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we developed an ex vivo functional assay to assess liver metabolic capacity adapted from the lidocaïne test in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animals used were subjected to different models of liver injury: hypothermic ischemia (H/I, n = 8), ischemia-reperfusion (I/R, n = 8) and CCl4 induced liver cirrhosis (n = 11), and compared with sham operated rats (n = 5). Livers were then extracted and a fragment of whole tissue was incubated with lidocaïne for 15, 30, 60, 120, 240, 360, and 720 min at which both lidocaïne and its major metabolite monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A histological study and biochemical assays (transaminase levels) were also performed to further evaluate and confirm our data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pharmacokinetic profile of lidocaïne metabolism in sham-operated animals revealed that the maximum concentration of MEGX is achieved at 120 min. Both lidocaïne metabolism and MEGX formation levels were significantly altered in all three models of hepatic injury. The extent of hepatic damage was confirmed by increased levels of transaminase levels and alteration of hepatocyte's structure with areas of necrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our method provides reliable and reproducible results using only a small portion of liver which allows for a fast and easy assessment of liver metabolic capacity. Moreover, our method presents an alternative to the in vivo technique and seems more feasible in a clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisia. dorrabensaid@voila.fr.|Unité d'expérimentation animale, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia. dorrabensaid@voila.fr.
authors.forename: Dorra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ben Said
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisia.|Unité d'expérimentation animale, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ridha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben Ali
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisia.|Unité d'expérimentation animale, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Henda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ferchichi
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisia.|Unité d'expérimentation animale, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Issam
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salouage
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.|Unité d'expérimentation animale, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Lobna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ouanes
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisia.|Unité d'expérimentation animale, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Emna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gaïes
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisia.|Unité d'expérimentation animale, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sameh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trabelsi
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Emna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kooli
authors.affiliation: Service Anatomo-pathologie, Hopital Charles Nicolle, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kourda
authors.affiliation: Service de Biochimie, Hopital Charles Nicolle, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Jaouida
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abdelmoula
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisia.|Unité d'expérimentation animale, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lakhal
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisia.|Unité d'expérimentation animale, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Anis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klouz