Flutamide protects against trauma-hemorrhage-induced liver injury via attenuation of the inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and apopotosis

Although studies have shown that administration of testosterone receptor antagonist, flutamide, following trauma-hemorrhage, improves hepatic, cardiovascular, and immune functions, the precise cellular/molecular mechanisms responsible for producing these salutary effects remain largely unknown. To study this, male C3H/HeN mice were subjected to a midline laparotomy and hemorrhagic shock (35+/-5 mmHg for approximately 90 min), followed by resuscitation with Ringer lactate. Flutamide (25 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered subcutaneously at the onset of resuscitation, and animals were killed 2 h thereafter. Hepatic injury was assessed by plasma alpha-glutathione S-transferase concentration, liver myeloperoxidase activity, and nitrotyrosine formation. Hepatic malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxyalkenals (lipid peroxidation indicators), cellular DNA fragmentation, and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha were also evaluated. Cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6) and chemokines (keratinocyte-derived chemokine and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) levels were determined by cytometric bead array. The results indicate that flutamide administration after trauma-hemorrhage reduced liver injury, which was associated with decreased levels of alpha-glutathione S-transferase, myeloperoxidase activity, nitrotyrosine formation, lipid peroxidation, and cytokines/chemokines (systemic, liver tissue, and intracellular cytokines/chemokines). Cellular apoptosis, hepatocyte hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha, and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression were also decreased under such conditions. Thus administration of flutamide following trauma-hemorrhage protects against liver injury via reduced inflammation, cellular oxidative stress, and apoptosis.