Hepatic tissue microcirculation, oxygenation and energy charge in ischemia-reperfusion subjected cirrhotic rat liver

The hemodynamic disturbances in the cirrhotic liver following severe variceal bleeding and subsequent restoration by blood transfusion is an ischemia/reperfusion injury event which represents the clinical situation of liver dysfunction. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the microcirculation, oxygenation and energy charge of the cirrhotic rat liver after ischemia/reperfusion.

In eight carbon tetrachloride-induced cirrhotic rats and an equal number of controls subjected to 30 minutes of ischemia and 60 minutes of reperfusion by hepatoduodenal ligament clamping, the following parameters were assessed: hepatic microcirculation by laser-Doppler fluxmetry, hepatic tissue oxygenation by a Clark-type electrode, hepatic energy charge by tissue sampling and adenine-nucleotides determination by means of high-performance liquid chromatography.

At baseline, liver microcirculation was found to be significantly decreased in the cirrhotics versus controls groups. Ischemia led to a reduction in both groups, while reperfusion improved microcirculation, but not to the baseline level. Oxygenation was reduced during ischemia and restored after reperfusion in both groups. Hepatic energy charge was reduced in the cirrhotics versus controls at baseline, and significantly decreased during ischemia in both groups. At reperfusion, a further reduction was found in the cirrhotic group, while in the control group it was restored to baseline.

Hepatic microcirculation, oxygenation and energy charge are subjected to different degrees of diminution after ischemia/reperfusion in the cirrhotic rat liver.