Protective Effects of Heparin on Hepatic Ischemia and Reperfusion Lesions in Rabbits

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings Vol. 41; no. 3; pp. 812 - 815
• Main Authors: Taha, M.O, Gonçalves, P.F.Z.R.A, Vidigal, R.O.G, Sacchi, G.P.S, Pinheiro, F.G, Brandão, L.S.G, Feguri, S, Moraes-Filho, A.M, Ghadie, M.M, Magalhães, K.G, Simões, M.J, Tersariol, I.L.S, Monteiro, H.P, Oliveira, I, Jurkiewicz, A, Caricati-Neto, A
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.04.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alanine Transaminase - drug effects; Alanine Transaminase - metabolism; Animals; Aspartate Aminotransferases - drug effects; Aspartate Aminotransferases - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Disease Models, Animal; Fibrinolytic Agents - therapeutic use; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Heparin - therapeutic use; Ischemia - drug therapy; Ischemia - enzymology; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase - drug effects; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Liver - enzymology; Liver Diseases - drug therapy; Liver Diseases - enzymology; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Other diseases. Semiology; Rabbits; Reperfusion Injury - enzymology; Reperfusion Injury - prevention & control; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Tissue, organ and graft immunology; Protective factor; Rabbit; Cardiovascular disease; Hepatic disease; Anticoagulant; Transplantation; Lagomorpha; Vascular disease; Medicine; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Reperfusion; Treatment; Surgery; Animal; Glycosaminoglycan; Digestive diseases; Graft; Heparin; Liver ischemia; Protection
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2009.02.042

Abstract Because the role of heparin (HEP) in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is still not fully understood, we investigated the effects of treatment with HEP on hepatic I/R injury in rabbits. For I/R procedures, the portal vein and hepatic artery were occluded by a metallic clamp to promote ischemia. The clamp was removed after 30 minutes to allow reperfusion. Rabbits undergoing the I/R procedure were treated with HEP (100 U/kg) or saline solution 0.9% (SS). When compared with levels before I/R, the serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase, levels were increased by the hepatic I/R procedure, among rabbits treated with SS or HEP. However, the increase in these enzymes was lower among rabbits treated with HEP. Histologic analysis of hepatic tissue of rabbits undergoing I/R and treated with SS showed marked lesions in the central lobule with significant inflammatory infiltration. In contrast, a significant reduction in lesions caused by I/R was observed in the livers of rabbits treated with HEP. After starting reperfusion, we visualized apoptotic cells with nuclear staining among rabbits submitted to I/R and treated with SS, but not those treated with HEP. These results suggested that HEP was able to attenuate hepatic lesions caused by I/R in the livers of rabbits.