Introduction: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a serious complication of hepatectomy and liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of salvianolic acid-A (Sal-A) against IRI-induced hepatocellular injury.
Material and methods: Forty rats were randomly divided into the following four groups: (1) sham group, (2) IR group, (3) Sal-A(10) group and (4) Sal-A(20) group. After 90 min of ischemia and 6 h of reperfusion, serum alanine aminotransferease (ALT) and apartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured; the amounts of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver tissue were determined; the expression of Bcl-2 and caspase-3 was detected and the severity of apoptosis, inflammation and pathological alterations were evaluated. Also apoptosis and mRNA and protein levels of TLR4 (toll-like receptor 4) were tested.
Results: The serum aminotransferases, hepatic MDA concentration, and apoptotic cells in the IR group were significantly higher than in the sham group (p < 0.01), whereas the Sal-A group values were lower than in the IR group (p < 0.05). Compared with the IR group, the Sal-A groups had significantly higher Bcl-2 expression and downregulated cleaved caspase-3 expression in liver tissue. Moreover, increased mRNA and protein levels of TLR4 in IR rats and Sal-A could improve the increased mRNA and protein levels of TLR4.
Conclusions: Sal-A had a synergistically protective effect on the liver tissue against IRI that might be due to decreased oxidative stress, inflammation, hepatocellular apoptosis and include, at least in part, the regulation of TLR4.
Keywords: apoptosis; inflammation; ischemia-reperfusion; liver; salvianolic acid-A; toll-like receptor 4.
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