Protective effect of propofol combined with Ugustrazin on liver against ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Objective To investigate the protective effect of propofol (Pro) in combination with ligustrazin (Lig) on the liver against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and the mechanisms involved.Methods Fifty male SD rats weighing 240-280 g were randomly divided into 5 groups of 10 animals each: group Ⅰ received sham operation (sham); group Ⅱ I/R; group Ⅲ Pro + I/R; group Ⅳ Lig + I/R and group Ⅴ Pro + Lag + I/R. The animals were anesthetized with intraperitoneal pentobarbital 20 mg·kg-1 . Liver ischemia was produced by clamping the hepatic hilum for 30 min, then the clamp was removed for 60 min reperfusion. In group Ⅲ propofol was infused at 20 mg·kg-1 ?h-1 starting from 20 min before ischemia until hepatic hilum was clamped. In group Ⅳ a bolus of ligustrazin 60 mg·kg-1 was given i.v. 20 min before ischemia. In group Ⅴ propofol was infused and a bolus of ligustrazin was given i.v. as in group Ⅲ and Ⅳ 20 min before hepatic ischemia. Blood samples were taken at the end of 60 min reperfusion for determination of serum activities of ALT, AST and LDH and meanwhile a liver specimen was obtained for determination of MDA content, SOD and XOD activities and for electron microscopic examination. Results Serum ALT and AST activities were significantly higher in group Ⅱ , Ⅲ , Ⅳ and Ⅴ than in group Ⅰ (sham) (P0.01), but were significantly lower in group Ⅲ , Ⅳ and Ⅴ than in group Ⅱ (I/R) (P 0.05 or 0.01). Serum ALT activity was significantly lower in group Ⅴ than in group Ⅲ and Ⅳ ( P 0.05) . There was no significant difference in plasma LDH activity among the 5 groups. The MDA content of liver was significantly higher in group Ⅱ , Ⅲ and Ⅳ than in group Ⅰ (sham) , but was significantly lower in group Ⅲ , Ⅳ and V than in group Ⅱ (I/R) (P 0.05 or 0.01). The SOD activity of liver was significantly higher in group Ⅲ, Ⅳ and Ⅴ than in group Ⅱ(P0.05或0.01), whereas the XOD activity was significantly lower in group Ⅴ than in group Ⅱ . Electron microscopic examination showed that the pathologic changes induced by I/R was slight in group Ⅲ , Ⅳ and Ⅴ as compared with group Ⅱ ( P 0.05) . Conclusion Both propofol and ligustrazin can protect liver against I/R injury by their anti-oxidant activities and the protective effect was potentiated when they are used in combination.