Effects of Shenfu injection on prostacyclin, thromboxane A2 and activities of ATPases in rats exposed to hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury / 中西医结合学报

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of Shenfu Injection on prostacyclin, thromboxane A2 and the activities of ATPases in rats exposed to hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS: Twenty-four male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g were randomly divided into two groups Shenfu Injection (SF)-treated group (rats were treated with Shenfu Injection of 10 ml/kg through intraperitoneal injection) and untreated group (rats were administered with normal saline at the same dose and served as a control group). Hepatic ischemia was caused by Pringle's maneuver and lasted for fifteen minutes, and then one-hour or three-hour reperfusion was performed. Venous blood samples for the measurement of thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) and 6-keto-prostaglandin F(1 alpha)(6-keto-PGF(1 alpha)) were collected three hours after reperfusion. Liver tissue samples were collected one hour or three hours after reperfusion for the measurement of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(+)-Mg(+)-ATPase and for morphological studies. RESULTS: Plasma TXB(2) was lower in the SF-treated group than that in the untreated group after three-hour reperfusion (P>0.05), while 6-keto-PGF(1 alpha) was higher in the SF-treated group than that in the untreated group (P>0.05). The ratio of TXB(2) and 6-keto-PGF(1 alpha) was significantly lower in the SF-treated group than that in the untreated group (P<0.05). The activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(+)-Mg(+)-ATPase in the SF-treated group were improved obviously. A three-hour reperfusion after fifteen-minute ischemia caused important hepatic histological alterations. Marked structural abnormalities were observed in the untreated group, such as massive hepatocyte swelling, necrosis, mitochondria edema and vacuolar changes. In the SF-treated group, hepatic tissue injury was reduced significantly. CONCLUSION: Shenfu Injection protects hepatic tissue from ischemia-reperfusion injury, and such protective effects are achieved by decreasing the ratio of thromboxane A(2) and prostacyclin, and increasing the activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(+)-Mg(+)- ATPase.