title: Influence of ezetimibe on selected parameters of oxidative stress in rat liver subjected to ischemia/reperfusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is considered to be one of the main causes of liver damage after transplantation. The authors evaluated the effect of ezetimibe on selected oxidative stress parameters in ischemic/reperfused (I/R) rat liver.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were administered ezetimibe (5 mg/kg) (groups E and E-I/R) or saline solution (groups C and C-I/R) intragastrically for 21 days. Livers of animals in groups C-I/R and E-I/R were subjected to 60 min of partial ischemia (left lateral and median lobes) followed by 4 h of reperfusion. Alanine and asparagine aminotransferase (ALT, AST) activity was determined in blood before I/R and during reperfusion (at 15 and 240 min). After the reperfusion period, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were determined in liver homogenates using colorimetric methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ezetimibe caused a significant increase in GSH level in groups subjected to I/R (E-I/R (99.91 ±9.01) vs. C-I/R (90.51 ±8.87), p < 0.05). Additionally, under I/R the decrease of GPx activity in the drug-treated group was lower compared to the non-treated group (E-I/R (3.88 ±1.11) vs. E (5.31 ±1.83), p = 0.076). Neither ezetimibe nor I/R affected SOD or MDA levels. I/R produced a significant increase in aminotransferase levels (ALT240-0: C-I/R (42.23 ±43.56) vs. C (9.75 ±11.09), and E-I/R (39.85 ±26.53) vs. E (4.38 ±1.36), p < 0.05 in both cases; AST 240-0: E-I/R (53.87 ±17.23) vs. E (24.10 ±9.66), p < 0.05) but no effect of ezetimibe on those enzymes was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ezetimibe demonstrates antioxidant properties in rat livers subjected to I/R. However, neither a hepatoprotective nor a hepatotoxic effect of ezetimibe was demonstrated, regardless of I/R.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trocha
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merwid-Ląd
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chlebda
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sozański
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pieśniewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gliniak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szeląg
keywords: ischemia/reperfusion; liver; oxidative stress; rat