Leukocyte involvement in renal reperfusion-induced liver damage

Renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) induces organ damage in remote organs. The aim of this study was to assess the role of leukocytes in the induction of liver damage after renal IR injury.

Inbred mice were subjected to either sham operation or bilateral renal IR injury (60 min ischemia followed by 3 h reperfusion). Mice were then anesthetized for collection of leukocytes by heart puncture. Isolated leukocytes were transferred to two other groups: intact recipient mice that received leukocytes from IR mice and intact recipient mice that received leukocytes from sham-operated control mice. After 24 h, recipient mice were anesthetized and samples were collected.

Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and hepatic malondialdehyde increased significantly, and hepatic glutathione decreased significantly in intact recipient mice that received leukocytes from IR mice in comparison with intact recipient mice that received leukocytes from sham-operated control mice. Loss of normal liver architecture, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and focal infiltration of leukocytes were seen.

These results suggest that leukocytes are one of the possible factors that contribute to liver damage after renal IR injury and this damage is partly due to the induction of oxidative stress.