Is Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Antagonism after Ischemia Effective in Alleviating Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats?

Recent studies suggest that aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) act as an important mediator of ischemic injury in brain. In particular, pharmacological inhibition of AhR activation after ischemia has been shown to attenuate cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. In this study, we investigated whether AhR antagonist administration after ischemia was also effective in ameliorating hepatic IR injury. Our results indicate that treatment with the AhR antagonist after ischemia alleviate liver damage, as evidenced by serum ALT and AST levels, MRI-based liver function indices, and histologic and molecular analysis. Thus, adequate AhR antagonist activity is a potential therapeutic approach for hepatic IR injury.