Protective effects of treprostinil and ischemic preconditioning on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury and biomarkers in experimental studies in rats

Figure 3 Effect of treprostinil and ischemic preconditioning in rats subjected to hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury. A: Effect of treprostinil and ischemic preconditioning (IP) on serum and liver tissue interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concentrations in rats subjected to hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI). Serum and tissue IL-1β levels in the HIRI group were significantly increased compared to the sham group, confirming the induction of the inflammatory response. In the treprostinil and IP group, serum and liver tissue IL-1β concentrations were significantly reduced compared to the HIRI group; B: Effect of treprostinil and IP on serum and liver tissue protein carbonyl concentrations in rats subjected to HIRI. Serum and tissue protein carbonyl levels in the HIRI group were significantly increased compared to the sham group, confirming the induction of oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Treprostinil and IP reduced serum protein carbonyl concentration, but the difference was not statistically significant. In contrast, treprostinil and IP significantly reduced liver tissue protein carbonyl levels compared to the HIRI group; C: Effect of treprostinil and IP on hepatocyte necrosis and Mallory-like bodies formation in rats subjected to HIRI. Hepatocyte necrosis was present in the HIRI group, but no statistically significant was revealed when compared to the sham group, in contrast with Mallory-like bodies formation. Treprostinil significantly reduced the extent of cell necrosis compared to the HIRI group. Cell necrosis was also lower in the IP group, but there was no significant difference compared to the HIRI group. The presence of Mallory-like bodies was reduced in treprostinil group compared to the HIRI group, although with no statistically significant difference. However, the Mallory-like bodies formation was higher in the IP group than in the HIRI group; D: Effect of treprostinil and IP on portal inflammatory cell infiltrations and liver hemorrhage occurrence in rats subjected to HIRI. Portal inflammatory cell infiltration was present in the HIRI group compared to sham group, but no statistically significant difference was revealed, in contrast with liver hemorrhage. Both treatments significantly reduced the degree of inflammatory cell aggregation, but no statistically significant difference was observed for the occurrence of hemorrhagic lesions when compared to the HIRI group. Black lines on the top of the bars represent SD. HIRI: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury; IP: Ischemic preconditioning; IL-1β: Interleukin-1β. ^aP < 0.001, ^bP < 0.05, and ^cP > 0.05.