[Protective effect of pre-storing glycogen on warm ischemia reperfusion injury in rat liver]

To study the effect of pre-storing glycogen on warm ischemia reperfusion injury in rat liver.

Lewis rats were divided into sham operation group (S group), low-glycogen group (L group, fasted 24 h), normal-glycogen group (N group, standard laboratory diet), high-glycogen group (H group, standard laboratory diet plus intravenous injection of 50% glucose solution 1 mL every 6 h x 4 times). Seventy percent portal ligation was performed on all of the rats for 30 min except for those in the S group. Ten rats from each group were sacrificed for harvest of serum and tissue samples 1 h, 4 h, 12 h and 24 h after reperfusion, respectively. The hepatic function was measured and the morphological changes of the livers were examined. Bcl-2, a well known antiapoptotic factor, was also detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

The rats with higher glucose presented higher glycogen in hepatocytes, better hepatic function, lower levels of ALT, AST and apoptosis index (AI), and higher 1 week survival rate. These rats also showed slighter histological damage and lower apoptotic index than the rats in the other groups. Furthermore, the morphological changes of the liver tissues of the rats with higher glucose were mild. The Bcl-2 mRNA expression was the strongest.

Pre-storing glycogen might protect liver impairment caused by ischemia reperfusion injury, perhaps through enhancing the Bcl-2 expression and preventing the hepatic cells from apoptosis.