Effects of Isoflurane on ICAM-1 expression and the infiltration of neutrophils in rats with liver ischemia and reperfusion injury

Objective This study aimed to establish the rat model of warm partial hepatic ischemia-reperfusion(IR),and investigate the protective and anti-inflammatory effects of isoflurane on warm hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Methods Thirty-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided equally into 4 groups (n=8):in group A the rats were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of pentobarbital sodium (1.0%,40 mg·kg-1,Sodium pentobarbital) and received a sham operation without occlusion of liver blood flow; in group B rats underwent partial hepatic IR after anesthesia; in group C 1.0 MAC isoflurane was inhaled and sham operation was performed; in group D 1.0 MAC isoflurane was inhaled for 4 h and IR was performed. rat model of warm partial hepatic ischemia-reperfusion was established by clamping the hepatic arteries and hilar vessels distributing to the left and median lobes to induce partial hepatic ischemia (70%) for 60 min followed by reperfusion for 3 h. The rats were killed 3 h after declamping,and specimens of liver tissue and blood were obtained. The serum ALT and AST were detected. Viability of myeloperoxidase(MPO) in liver were measured. The expressions of ICAM-1 and TNF-α were detected by RT-PCR; The protein level of ICAM-1 in the liver was detected by immunohistochemistry. The histological observation was carred out with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results Compared with rats anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium,rats treated with 1.0 MAC isoflurane during warm partial(70%) hepatic ischemia 60 min and 3 h of reperfusion have significantly lower serum ALT and AST. Isoflurane can significantly inhibit the expression of ICAM-1 and viability of MPO in rat liver ischemia-reperfusion injury. Conclusion Isoflurane anesthesia can protect against liver IR injury in rats by inhibiting ICAM-1 expression and reducing the infiltration of neutrophils.