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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Use of a Hanging-weight System for Liver Ischemia in Mice
Published on: August 7, 2012
Inhibition of hemoxygenase-1 improves survival after liver resection in jaundiced rats
S Scheingraber1, M Bauer, I Bauer
1Department of General, Visceral, Vascular and Pediatric Surgery University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany. stefan.scheingraber@diekliniken.de
Background:
The role of hemoxygenase (HO)-1 after partial liver resection (PLR) in jaundiced animals has yet to be defined. We therefore investigated: (1) the acute effects of bile duct ligation (BDL) on bilirubin accumulation and hepatocellular integrity after PLR; (2) how BDL and PLR affect HO-1 protein expression; (3) how functional HO-1 blockade affects survival and liver regeneration after BDL and PLR.
Methods:
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to BDL or a sham operation. After 3 days, a 70% hepatectomy was performed. In a second set of experiments, BDL animals received either Sn(IV) mesoporphyrin IX dichloride (SnMP) for HO-1 blockade or a vehicle. Three days later, PLR was performed and survival of the animals was observed for 7 days.
Results:
PLR, BDL and both together cause a hepatocellular injury and HO-1 expression. Inhibition of HO-1 with SnMP in jaundiced rats that underwent PLR was associated with improved survival, attenuated postoperative weight loss and better liver synthesis.
Conclusion:
The present findings add further evidence that the protective properties of increased HO-1 expression largely depend on the model used, and that HO-1 overexpression in the model of liver resection during acute cholestasis may also be detrimental.
