Iloprost, a prostacyclin (PGI2) analogue, reduces liver injury in hepatic ischemiareperfusion in rats

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of iloprost a prostacyclin analogue on the hepatic IR injury in rats. METHODS: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g) were divided into four groups each containing 10 rats;(1)--controls: data from unmanipulated animals; (2) sham group: rats subjected to the surgical procedure, except for liver I/R, and given saline; (3) I/R group: rats that underwent liver ischemia for 45 min followed by reperfusion for 45 min; (4) IR/ Iloprost group: rats pretreated with iloprost (10 microg kg-1, i.v). Liver tissues were taken to determine SOD, CAT, GSH, and MDA levels and for biochemical and histological evaluation. RESULTS: The plasma ALT and AST levels were increased in group 3 than in group 4. MDA values and the liver injury score decreased, while the SOD, CAT, and GSH values increased in group 4 compared to group 3. In group 3, hepatocytes were swollen with marked vacuolization. In group 4, there were regular sinusoidal structures with normal morphology without any signs of congestion. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated hepatoprotective effects of iloprost against severe ischemia and reperfusion injury in rat liver.