The liver protective effect of methylprednisolone on a new experimental acute-on-chronic liver failure model in rats.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Acute-on-chronic liver failure is a severe, life-threatening entity and the comprehension of this disease is incomplete. Currently, a reasonable surgical model of acute-on-chronic liver failure is still lacking. The aim of this study was to establish a new model of acute-on-chronic liver failure in rats and to investigate the protective effects of methylprednisolone on this model.

METHODS:

An obstructive jaundice model in rats was established. Two weeks later, the animals were subjected to a choledochoduodenostomy and a reduced-size hepatic ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Animals were randomly divided into a control group, a methylprednisolone injected via the tail vein group and a methylprednisolone injected via the portal vein group. The survival rates and serum levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, tumour necrosis factor alpha, and interferon gamma of the rats were measured and the pathological changes in liver tissues were observed.

RESULTS:

The survival rate was significantly improved in the methylprednisolone treatment groups. Serum levels of the biochemical indexes were the lowest in the portal vein injection group. Liver tissues under microscopy presented severe pathological injury in the control group.

CONCLUSION:

This model could be useful for further research into acute-on-chronic liver failure and methylprednisolone may be a potential therapeutic agent for this disease.

• Authors: Chao Hu, Shiqiang Shen, Aimin Zhang, Bo Ren, Fusheng Lin
• Journal: Digestive and liver disease : official journal of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (Dig Liver Dis) Vol. 46 Issue 10 Pg. 928-35 (Oct 2014) ISSN: 1878-3562 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 25022338 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Evaluation Study, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2014 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Biomarkers
• Methylprednisolone

Topics

• Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure (blood, drug therapy, pathology, surgery)
• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (therapeutic use)
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
• Disease Models, Animal
• Female
• Hepatectomy
• Injections, Intravenous
• Liver (pathology, surgery)
• Methylprednisolone (therapeutic use)
• Portal Vein
• Random Allocation
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
• Treatment Outcome