Effects of Tetrandrine on ischemia/reperfusion injury in mouse liver

Objective. Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) may cause acute inflammatory damage, producing significant organ dysfunction, an important problem for liver transplantation. Previous studies have demonstrated that Tetrandrine (Tet), a component of traditional Chinese herbal medicine, shows protective effects to scavenge active oxygen radicals and inhibit lipid peroxidation. In this study, we examined whether Tet has a protective effect on mouse hepatic IRI. Materials and Methods. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into sham, ischemic, and Tet-treated groups; 90 minutes of warm ischemia was performed on the left liver lobe. Tet (20 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally at 1 hour before ischemia with a second intravenous dose was injected just before reperfusion. Blood and liver samples were collected at 6 hours after reperfusion. We analyzed the hepatocellular injury, oxidative stress, neutrophil recruitment, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) generation associated with hepatic IRI. Results. Undergoing 90 minutes of ischemia and 6 hours reperfusion caused dramatic injuries in mouse livers. Administration of Tet (20 mg/kg) reduced serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH); decreased liver edema, TNF-alpha, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents; and ameliorated the down-regulation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Conclusion. Tet showed protective effects on mouse hepatic IRI.