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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
05:53
Use of a Hanging-weight System for Liver Ischemia in Mice
Published on: August 7, 2012
Ethanol preconditioning reduces hepatic I/R injury by inhibiting the complement system activation
Zheng-Wei Ma1, Xiao-Bin Feng, Shu-Guo Zheng
1Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
The Journal of Surgical Research
|October 27, 2009
Summary
Ethanol preconditioning significantly improves survival rates and reduces liver injury following ischemia/reperfusion. This protective effect is linked to the inhibition of complement activation, offering a novel therapeutic insight.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Ethanol preconditioning (EtOH-PC) is known to protect cerebral, intestinal, and myocardial tissues from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.
- The protective potential of EtOH-PC against hepatic I/R injury and its association with complement activation remained to be investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the protective effects of ethanol preconditioning against hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.
- To determine if these protective effects are associated with the inhibition of complement activation.
Main Methods:
- Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham, ethanol control, I/R, and ethanol-pretreatment I/R (EIR) groups.
- Ethanol preconditioning was induced by oral gavage of ethanol 24 hours prior to the experiment.
- Evaluated animal survival rates, liver function markers (ALT, AST), oxidative stress (MDA), complement activation (C3, CH50), and liver histology.
Main Results:
- Ethanol preconditioning significantly increased 14-day survival rates in hepatic I/R injury models.
- EIR group showed significantly lower serum ALT, AST, IL-1β, and liver MDA levels, with milder histopathologic damage compared to the I/R group.
- Ethanol preconditioning significantly suppressed the reduction in complement C3 and CH50, and decreased C3 deposition in liver tissue, without altering hepatic C3 mRNA expression.
Conclusions:
- Ethanol preconditioning demonstrates a significant protective effect against hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.
- The mechanism underlying this protection involves the inhibition of complement activation.
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