Organ Transplantation Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Organ Transplantation, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery.

Enteral donor pre-treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid protects the liver against ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Nowak G, Norén UG, Wernerson A, Marschall HU, Möller L, Ericzon BG

Department of Transplantation Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital B56, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. grzegorz.nowak@cfss.ki.se

Liver donor pre-treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) may protect against injury during transplantation. In the present study we evaluated whether enteral administration of UDCA has an effect on bile flow and protects the liver from injury related to transplantation. Wistar rats were used in liver perfusion (LP) and transplantation (LTx) models. Rats were enterally administered UDCA (800 mg/kg) 3 h before cold perfusion. In LP, bile flow and bile acid composition were analysed. In LTx, serum ALT and liver histology were analysed. LP showed biliary UDCA enrichment up to 36+/-13% in pre-treated rats, causing higher bile flow (P = 0.026) compared with control rats. LTx showed lower ALT and TUNEL positive hepatocytes in the UDCA group (P < 0.02 and P < 0.05). In conclusion, augmented bile salt-dependent bile flow is preserved in the liver after cold storage. Enteral donor pre-treatment with UDCA protects the liver against ischaemia-reperfusion injury.

Published 1 August 2005 in Transpl Int, 17(12): 804-9.
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