title: Preconditioning somatothermal stimulation on Qimen (LR14) reduces hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In human beings or animals, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of the liver may occur in many clinical conditions, such as circulating shock, liver transplantation and surgery and several other pathological conditions. I/R injury has a complex pathophysiology resulting from a number of contributing factors. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve effective treatment or protection by individually targeting the mediators. This study aimed at studying the effects of local somatothermal stimulation preconditioning on the right Qimen (LR14) on hepatic I/R injury in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. The rats were preconditioned with thermal tolerance study, which included one dose of local somatothermal stimulation (LSTS) on right Qimen (LR14) at an interval of 12 h, followed by hepatic ischemia for 60 min and then reperfusion for 60 min. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) have been used to assess the liver functions, and liver tissues were taken for the measurements such as malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxidase dismutase (SOD), and myeloperoxidase (MPO).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that the plasma ALT and AST activities were higher in the I/R group than in the control group. In addition, the plasma ALT and AST activities decreased in the groups that received LSTS. The hepatic SOD levels reduced significantly by I/R injury. Moreover, the hepatic MPO activity significantly increased by I/R injury while it decreased in the groups given LSTS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings show that LSTS provides a protective effects on the liver from the I/R injury. Therefore, LSTS might offer an easy and inexpensive intervention for patients who have suffered from I/R of the liver especially in the process of hepatotomy and hepatic transplantation.
authors.forename: Cheng-Chu
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Shu-Chen
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department and Institute of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan. chiujh@mailsrv.ym.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Jen-Hwey
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Ying-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D007511:Ischemia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning / Q000379:methods*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D009195:Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D005978:Glutathione