Effect of Prostaglandin E1 Analogue, Alprostadil, against the Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats

Abstract

This study was aimed to study the effects of Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) analogue (alprostadil) on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. For this purpose, male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 60 minutes of hepatic ischemia followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion period. The rats were injected continuously with PGE1 (0.05 μg/kg) 30 minutes prior to ischemia and alone with reperfusion period. Our results showed that plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities were increased in I/R group than in control, and they were decreased in the groups of PGE1 treatment. The level of hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) was significantly depressed by I/R and increased by PGE1 treatment. Hepatic nitric oxide (NO) was significantly increased by I/R and decreased by PGE1 treatment. Our findings showed that PGE1 had beneficial improvement to I/R injury, and probably had a pronounced protective effects on the liver.