Hepatic ischemic preconditioning increases portal vein flow in experimental liver ischemia reperfusion injury.
BACKGROUND
Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has been shown to decrease liver injury and to increase hepatic microvascular perfusion after liver ischemia reperfusion. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of IPC on hemodynamics of the portal venous system.


METHODS
Thirty-two rats were randomized into two groups: IPC group and control group. The rats of the IPC group underwent IPC by 10 minutes of liver ischemia followed by 10 minutes of reperfusion before liver ischemia, and the rats of the control group were subjected to 60 minutes of partial liver ischemia. Non-ischemic lobes were resected immediately after reperfusion. The animals were studied at 4 hours and 12 hours after reperfusion. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, portal vein flow and pressure were analyzed. Blood was collected for the determination of the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, calcium, lactate, pH, bicarbonate, and base excess.


RESULTS
IPC increased the mean portal vein flow at 4 hours and 12 hours after reperfusion. IPC recovered 78% of the mean portal vein flow at 12 hours after reperfusion. IPC decreased the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and lactate, and increased the levels of ionized calcium, bicarbonate and base excess at 12 hours after reperfusion.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated that IPC increases portal vein flow and enhances hepatoprotective effects in liver ischemia reperfusion. The better recovery of portal vein flow after IPC may be correlated with the lower levels of transaminases and with the better metabolic profile.
Department of Gastroenterology, Laboratory of Medical Investigations LIM37 Discipline of Liver and Gastrointestinal Transplantation, Hospital das Clinicas, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. estelafigueira@me.com.
Estela Rr
ER
Figueira
Joel A
JA
Rocha-Filho
Mauro
M
Nakatani
Marcelo Fs
MF
Buto
Eduardo R
ER
Tatebe
Vitor O
VO
Andre
Ivan
I
Cecconello
Luiz Ac
LA
D'Albuquerque
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning / Q000379:methods*; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007773:Lactates