Chemiluminescent response to PMA in isolated rat liver after in situ ischemia-reperfusion

The median and left lateral lobes of rat liver in situ were rendered ischemic for 30 min, then blood flow reinstituted. After 1, 3, 6, 24, or 48 h, livers were removed and set up for isolated perfused organ study. Luminol enhanced chemiluminescence (LEC) was recorded from the surface of the median and left lateral lobes before and for 90 min following phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, 1.6 x 10(-8) M) perfusion. An increase in PMA induced LEC was evident at 1 h and continued to increase up to 6 h. By 24 h the magnitude of the PMA response had returned to within control values. This indicates that a large influx of inflammatory cells had occurred in the liver following the in vivo ischemia-reperfusion insult and that these cells were well fixed in the tissue and capable of mounting a very large and sustained burst of radical production on stimulation with PMA. This combined in vivo/in vitro technique is ideally suited for the assessment of interventions designed to ameliorate damage following oxidative stress.