title: Leptin attenuates ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat liver.
abstract: Leptin is an adipocytokine that reduces ischemic damage in several organs including brain and heart. STAT3 activation is a key step for the attainment of leptin effects in various tissues. We evaluated the possible effect of leptin on liver viability and STAT3 activation, in a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Rat livers, flushed and stored with Belzer solution (4° C for 24 h), were warmly reperfused (3.5 ml/min/g liver for 1 h at 37° C with O(2) ) with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate. Treatment group underwent an identical protocol with the adjunct of Leptin (10 ng/ml). Liver effluent was harvested to assess LDH and AST output. Liver tissue was used for pSTAT3 expression (western blot and immunostaining), optical microscopy, TUNEL, and Cell Death Detection assays. The pSTAT3 expression was enhanced by administration of leptin. In parallel, LDH and AST output were reduced (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02 for LDH and AST, respectively). Optical microscopy, TUNEL, and Cell Death Detection assay results demonstrated increased viability in livers treated with leptin in comparison with others (Optical microscopy P = 0.02; TUNEL P = 0.01; Cell death Detection assay P = 0.003). In conclusion, cold storage and reperfusion with leptin reduce liver ischemia-reperfusion injury. This effect is associated with an increased expression of pSTAT-3.
authors.affiliation: Hepatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Campagnolo
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angelico
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tisone
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Almerighi
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Telesca
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lenci
authors.forename: Ilana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moscatelli
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Massoud
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baiocchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D020738:Leptin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494088:Stat3 protein, rat; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases