Abstract:
Mechanisms by which an immunosuppressant (cyclosporine, CsA) ameliorates warm ischemic injury of the liver were studied. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 60-min normothermic liver ischemia. Animals were assigned to one of two groups: group I, controls with vehicle treatment; group II, treatment with CsA (10 mg/kg). CsA was given orally for 4 consecutive days prior to the induction of hepatic ischemia. In addition to a survival study, plasma levels of endotoxin, serum activity of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF), and serum levels of aminotransferases were measured in blood samples collected from the suprahepatic vena cava, and hepatic ultrastructural alterations were examined under an electron microscope. The 7-day survival rate was significantly higher in the CsA-treated animals. In the control group, serum TNF levels were elevated following reperfusion and peaked at 3 h. When the values at 3 h post reflow were compared, the animals given CsA had significantly lower levels of TNF (170.0 ± 30.5 pg/ml for group I, 67.6 ± 13.7 for group II, mean ± SEM; P < 0.05). The sinusoidal lining cells and hepatocytes were drastically destroyed at 6 h post reflow in the control group, although the degree of injury at 1–3 h was less severe. On the other hand, the endothelium and parenchymal liver cells in the CsA-treated group were well preserved at 6 h in comparison with those in the control group. Our data suggest that modulation of TNF production is one of the mechanisms through which CsA prevents the exacerbation of ischemia/reperfusion injury of the liver.
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Received for publication on Aug. 12, 1998; accepted on Feb. 2, 1999
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Ishii, T., Kim, YI., Kawano, K. et al. Amelioration of tumor necrosis factor release by cyclosporine in warm ischemia/reperfusion injury of the rat liver: with special reference to hepatic ultrastructure. J Hep Bil Pancr Surg 6, 267–274 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s005340050117
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s005340050117