Experimental study on protective role of propofol in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury

ve To assess the effect of propofol on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and the mechanism. Methods Sixty healthy rabbits of either sex, weighing 2.0-3.4 kg were randomly divided into three groups of twenty animals each: control group (C), propofol group (P) and etomidate group (E) . The rabbits were anesthetized with 3.0% pentobarbital 1.0 ml·kg-1 iv. Internal jugular artery was cannulated for continuous MAP monitoring and internal jugular vein was cannulated for intravenous fluid and drug administration. In group C normal saline was infused at a rate of 2 ml·kg· h-1; in group E etomidate 0.1 mg · kg-1· h-1 and in group P propofol 20 mg· kg-1· h-1 was infused during the experiment until the end of surgery. Hepatic ischemia was produced by clamping hepatic hilum for 20 min and reperfusion was allowed for 30 min after release of the clamp before the animals were sacrificed. Blood samples were taken from internal jugular artery before hepatic ischemia immediately, 15 and 30 min after I/ R for determination of AST, ALT and SOD concentration. Liver tissue 0.5g was taken from right lobe and kept in liquid nitrogen for determination of MDA content and left lobe of the liver was taken for electron microscopic examination. Results The serum levels of AST and ALT increased after reperfusion in all three groups, but were significantly lower in group P than in group C and E. The serum SOD level decreased in all three groups after reperfusion, but the decrease in SOD was significantly less in group P than in group C and E. The MDA content of liver increased in all three groups after reperfusion but the increase in MDA was significantly less in group P than in group C and E. Electron microscopic examination revealed that mitochondria swelled obviously, the ridge disappeared, ribosome was disarranged and endoplasmic reticulum was expanded and vacuolated in group C and E; while in group P mitochondria only slightly swelled, the ridge was seen clearly, the arrangement of endoplasmic reticulum was trim and there was no exfoliated ribosome. Conclusions Propofol has protective effect in liver I/R.