Relationship between hepatocellular apoptosis and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in rats during hepatic ischemia-reperfusion.

Objective To investigate the relationship between hepatocellular apoptosis and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in rats during hepatic ischemia-reperfusion. Methods With a rat model of acute hepatic ischemia-reperfusion, 72 healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal group, sham-operated group and ischemia-reperfusion group. The concentrations of serum TNF-α was measured by radioimmunity technique and the hepatocellular apoptosis was detected by TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) and electron microscope. Results The concentrations of serum TNF-α and hepatocellular apoptotic index (HAI) in ischemia-reperfusion group were higher than that in normal and sham-operated groups. Both TNF-α and HAI reached peak at 6 hour after reperfusion. There was a positive correlation between TNF-α and HAI. Conclusion There is an extraordinary up-regulation of the expression of TNF-α after hepatic ischemia -reperfusion and perhaps TNF-α is an inducible factor of hepatocellular apoptosis.