Effect of matrine on Kupffer cell activation in cold ischemia reperfusion injury of rat liver

AIM: To study the effect of matrine on activation of Kupffer cell during cold ischemia and reperfusion injury in rat orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). METHODS: 168 syngeneic SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: untreated group, small-dose treated group, large-dose treated group and sham operation group. After 5 hours of preservation in Ringer's (LR) solution, orthotopic implantation of the donor liver was performed. At 1 h, 2 h, 4 h and 24 h after reperfusion of the portal vein, 6 rats were killed in each group to collect the serum and the liver for assay and pathology. RESULTS: Matrine markedly inhibited the activation of Kupffer cells and their release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF). TNF cytotoxicity level at 2 h decreased significantly by matrine treatment (7.94+/-0.42, 2.39+/-0.19 and 2.01+/-0.13 U/ml, respectively; P<0.01), so did the other three time points. The level of hylluronic acid (HA) and alanine transaminase (ALT) decreased significantly in both treated groups, and matrine treatment markedly ameliorated focal necrosis of hepatocytes, inflammatory cells aggregating, rounding and detachment of sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC). And no significant difference was observed between the treated groups. CONCLUSION: Matrine can inhibit the activation of Kupffer cell and prevent the donor liver from cold preservation and reperfusion injury in rat orthotopic liver transplantation.