Abstract. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of melatonin (MT) on liver function and lipid peroxidation following hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). A total of 66 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into three groups: Normal control (N) group, ischemia-reperfusion (IR) group and the MT-treated group. A hepatic IRI model was developed by blocking the first porta hepatis, and subsequently restoring hepatic blood inflow after 35 min. Following reperfusion, changes in the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) were detected by a chemical method at various time points. In the MT group, the MDA levels were significantly reduced (P<0.05) at all time points, as compared with the IR group. Furthermore, SOD activity was significantly increased (P<0.05) in the MT group, as compared with the IR group at all time points; and the levels of GSH in the MT group were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of the IR group at 2, 4, and 8 h post-reperfusion. The levels of ALT, AST and LDH were significantly reduced in the MT group at each time point, as compared with that of the IR group (P<0.05). In conclusion, MT exhibits potent antioxidant properties that may create favorable conditions for the recovery of liver function following IRI.
IntroductionIn order to effectively control bleeding during hepatobiliary surgery, hepatic portal occlusion is often used, as it can temporarily interrupt the portal vein and hepatic artery inflow. This method is widely accepted since it is clinically simple, practical and effective; however, there is an inherent risk of subsequent liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Therefore, in recent years, clinical research in the field of hepatic surgery has focused on how to reduce blood loss and improve the safety of hepatic portal occlusion, whilst simultaneously reducing the risk of liver IRI.Previous studies investigating tissues and organs such as the brain, heart, kidney and retina have demonstrated that numerous free radicals are produced during IRI, when the endogenous radical scavengers cannot function appropriately, leading to cell damage (1,2). Therefore, investigating effective drugs that alleviate IRI-induced functional liver damage, and improve the postoperative survival rate, has become a research hotspot in the field of hepatic surgery. Melatonin (MT) is a neural endocrine hormone that is secreted by the pineal gland (PG), which exerts known antioxidant, antitoxic, anti-stress and anti-inflammatory effects (3,4). Previous studies have demonstrated that MT has a protective role in IRI of the brain, heart, kidney and retina (5); however, its protective effects in liver IRI and the underlying mechanism require further research. An animal model of hepatic portal occlusion was used in the present study. MT was administered in advance, and the influence and significance of MT on antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation ...