Effect of hydrophilic bile salts alleviating cold preservation-reperfusion injury of graft intrahepatic bile duct in rats

Abstract

Objective To expore the effect of hydrophilic bile salts on preservation-reperfusion injury of graft intrahepatic bile duct in rats. Methods Using the model of orthotopic liver transplantation with bilidry extra-drainage, 192 SD rats were randomly allocated into 4 groups according to different injection: Control group was injected with normal sodium (1 ml), hydrophobic bile salt group with taurodcoxycholate (TDC, 40 μmol/kg), high and low dose hydmphilic group with tattroursodeoxycholate (TUDC) 80 and 40 μmol/kg respectively. After 2 h of preservation in Ringer's (LR) solution, orthotopie implantation of the graft liver was performed. The levels of serum total bilirubin (TB), direct bilirubin (DB), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and bile GGT, glucose (Glu) were assayed at day 1, 3,7 or 14 post-operation. The morphological changes and apoptosis of intrahepatie bile duct epithelial cells were observed under light microscopy and fluorescence microscopy respectively at day 1. Results In high and low TUDC groups, all the indexes were decreased significantly (P＜0.05), and morphologic observation confirmed that infiltration of inflanmatory cells, apoptosis and injuries of graft imrahepatic bile duet epithelial cells were ameliorated significantly as compared with the control and TDC groups (P＜0.05). In short term,all the indexes were decreased in high dose TDC group as compared with low dose TDC group, but in long term, there was no significant difference between high and low dose TDC groups (P＞0.05). All the indexes were increased significantly in TDC groups as compared with control group after operation (P＜0.05).Conclusion Hydrophilic bile salt can protect graft intrahepatic bile duct from cold ischemia and reperfusion injury. Key words: Liver transplantation; Reperfusion injury; Tauro-ursodesoxycholic acid; Taurodeoxycholic acid