Solcoseryl prevents inflammatory and hypoxic but not toxic liver damage in rodents

Abstract

Solcoseryl is a non-toxic, low-molecular-weight fraction of blood from veal calves, which is in clinical use against hypoxic conditions frequently associated with chronic inflammation. The pharmacodynamic actions of this haemo-dialysate were studied in different types of liver damage, including hepatic lesions inducedin vivo in mice by direct hepatotoxins or by endotoxin plus galactosamine. The isolated liver was perfused under hypoxic conditions. In addition,in vitro experiments with Kupffer cell/hepatocyte cocultures were carried out. Solcoseryl proved to be effective in protecting against endotoxin-induced liver damagein vivo. Perfusion with Solcoseryl reduced hypoxic liver damage in thein situ perfused mouse liver. In thein vitro model, the preparation prevented endotoxin-induced lesions, but not xenobiotic-induced toxic lesions. In line with these findings, Solcoseryl inhibited the endotoxin-inducible release of tumour necrosis factor-α from isolated Kupffer cells. This cytokine is known to be deleterious in several inflammatory pathomechanisms including endotoxin-induced hepatic lesions. It is concluded that Solcoseryl interacts with specific endogenous cytotoxicity mechanisms.