Description of a Recovery Model in Rabbits for the Study of the Late Phase of Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

• Published in: In vivo (Athens) 2022-01, Vol.36 (1), p.153-160
• Main Authors: Mantelou, Athina G, Zacharioudaki, Argyro, Pappas-Gogos, George, Papalois, Apostolos, Papoudou-Bai, Alexandra, Goussia, Anna, Glantzounis, Georgios K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alanine Transaminase; Animals; Ischemia; Liver; Liver Diseases; Rabbits; Reperfusion Injury
• ISSN: 0258-851X; 1791-7549
• DOI: 10.21873/invivo.12686

Description of an anesthetic recovery model with endotracheal intubation in rabbits which provides metabolic stability for the study of the late phase of liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Two groups of New Zealand rabbits, n=7 in each, were used: Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) group (45 min of partial liver ischemia/reperfusion) and no intervention (sham) group. Blood alanine aminotransferase, lactate, pH values, mean arterial pressure and pCO were calculated at baseline, and at 2 and 24 h post reperfusion. Tissue samples from left (ischemic) and right (non-ischemic) liver lobes were examined at 2 and 24 h after reperfusion. The I/R group presented significantly higher levels of alanine aminotransferase (p=0.001) at 2 and 24 h, and of lactate (p=0.016) at 2 h post reperfusion. No differences were documented for pH, mean arterial pressure and pCO Histological exanimation revealed significant injury at 24 h post reperfusion for the I/R group. This anesthetic recovery model permitted avoidance of hypoxia and respiratory acidosis, allowing the study of the late phase of I/R injury.