Antioxidant treatment attenuates intestinal mucosal damage and gut barrier dysfunction after major hepatectomy. Study in a porcine model
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Updated: Jun 3, 2026
Technique of Porcine Liver Procurement and Orthotopic Transplantation using an Active Porto-Caval Shunt
Published on: May 7, 2015
Constantinos Nastos1, Konstantinos Kalimeris, Nikolaos Papoutsidakis
1Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Aretaieion University Hospital, 76 Vassilisis Sofia's Ave, 11528, Athens, Greece. kosnastos@yahoo.gr
Background:
This study aims to evaluate whether injury of gut mucosa in a porcine model of post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction can be prevented using antioxidant treatment with desferrioxamine.
Methods:
Post-hepatectomy liver failure was induced in pigs combining major (70%) liver resection and ischemia/reperfusion injury. An ischemic period of 150 minutes, was followed by reperfusion for 24 h. Animals were randomly divided into a control group (n = 6) and a desferrioxamine group (DFX, n = 6). DFX animals were treated with continuous IV infusion of desferrioxamine 100 mg/kg. Intestinal mucosal injury (IMI), bacterial and endotoxin translocation (BT) were evaluated in all animals. Intestinal mucosa was also evaluated for oxidative markers.
Results:
DFX animals had significantly lower IMI score (3.3 ± 1.2 vs. 1.8 ± 0.9, p < 0.05), decreased BT in the portal circulation at 0 and 12 h of reperfusion (p = 0.007 and p = 0.008, respectively), decreased portal endotoxin levels at 6 (p = 0.006) and 24 h (p = 0.004), decreased systemic endotoxin levels (p = 0.01) at 24 h compared to controls. Also, 24 h post-reperfusion mucosal malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls were decreased in DFX animals compared to controls (4.1 ± 1.2 vs. 2.5 ± 1.2, p = 0.05 and 0.5 ± 0.1 vs. 0.4 ± 0.1, p = 0.04 respectively).
Conclusion:
Desferrioxamine seems to attenuate mucosal injury from post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction possibly through blockage of iron-catalyzed oxidative reactions.
