Hesperidin Ameliorates Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Hepatic ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) is a destructive event associated with high rates of liver failure after liver transplantation. Hesperidin significantly contributes to the antioxidant defense system and has been reported to act as a powerful agent against superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Our objective was to investigate the protective effect of hesperidin against hepatic IR injury in a rat model.

We fed Sprague-Dawley rats either hesperidin (100 mg/kg/d) or saline. One week later, ischemia was induced by clamping the rats' common hepatic artery and portal vein for 30 minutes. The rats were divided into 3 groups: 1. the sham operated group; 2. the I/R group; and 3. the I/R-hesperidin group.

Compared to the sham group, the I/R group had higher expression of serum aspartate aminotransferase and serum alanine aminotransferase and lower expression of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, antioxidant, nitric oxide, and albumin. Compared to the I/R group, the I/R-hesperidin group had higher expression of catalase, superoxide dismutase, antioxidant and nitric oxide and lower expression of serum aspartate aminotransferase and serum alanine aminotransferase.

Our findings suggest that hesperidin is a potential therapeutic agent for hepatic I/R injury.