Expression of VEGF in liver tissues of ischemia-reperfusion injury and significance

Objective: To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in the liver ischemia/reperfusion injury and significance.Methods: The male SD rats were used to establish partial hepatic vascular exclusion animal model.After ischemia for 90 min,SD rats liver were reperfused,and then liver specimens were collected at 1 h and 6 h after reperfusion respectively.Routine assays were performed for testing the levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and the activity of hepatic myeloperoxidase(MPO).The changes of VEGF protein in ischemic liver lobes were determined by ELISA.The liver tissues pathological changes were evaluated in hematoxylin and eosin(HE) stained. Results: After 90 min of partial liver ischemia,the AST,ALT level in I/R group was significantly increased as compared with the sham-operated(SH) group,and AST,ALT level at the 6 h reperfusion was markly higher than that at the 1 h reperfusion.The expression of VEGF protein and the MPO activity in hepatic tissues were remarkably up-regulated in I/R group than in the SH group at the time point of 1 h and 6 h reperfusion.They were higher at 6 h reperfusion than that at 1 h.For HE staining,the infiltration of many inflammatory cells was observed in liver tissue and became much severer at 6 h posT-reperfusion liver tissue. Conclusion: The up-regulation of VEGF protein in hepatic I/R injury process might be involved in the process of liver injury.