Bile salt tauroursodeoxycholic acid modulation of Bax translocation to mitochondria protects the liver from warm ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat.
BACKGROUND: Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDC) is a hydrophilic bile acid that has a cytoprotective effect in primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. TUDC also protects hepatocytes from hydrophobic bile acid-induced apoptosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether TUDC ameliorates hepatocyte apoptosis during ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS: We used a rat model of hepatic warm ischemia-reperfusion injury to assess the effects of TUDC. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 1 or 2 hr of normothermic ischemia followed by 3 or 6 hr of reperfusion. The treatment group received TUDC (50 mg/kg) by bolus intravenous injection 30 min before initiation of ischemia, whereas the control group received saline only. Blood samples for biochemical analysis were obtained after 6 hr of reperfusion. Liver biopsies for histological assessment were obtained 3 and 6 hr after reperfusion. Hepatocyte apoptosis was determined by terminal dUTP nick-end labeling. The pro-apoptotic protein Bax was quantified at the mRNA and protein level. RESULTS: Treatment with TUDC significantly reduced serum transaminase levels. This was associated with a significant amelioration in the levels of hepatocyte apoptosis in the TUDC-treated group compared with control. Furthermore, Western blot analysis of Bax expression in liver tissue indicated that TUDC inhibited the translocation of Bax from the cytosol to the mitochondria. CONCLUSIONS: TUDC significantly reduced hepatic injury in this model. The beneficial effects of TUDC upon hepatocyte apoptosis were related to the modulation of Bax protein translocation.[1]References
- Bile salt tauroursodeoxycholic acid modulation of Bax translocation to mitochondria protects the liver from warm ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat. Ishigami, F., Naka, S., Takeshita, K., Kurumi, Y., Hanasawa, K., Tani, T. Transplantation (2001) [Pubmed]
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