Effects of pentoxifylline and coenzyme Q10 in hepatic ischemia/reperfusioninjury

Objectives: We examined whether pentoxifylline (PTX) and coenzyme Q10 (Q) p retreatment affect ischemia-reperfusion damage in the rat liver. Design and Methods: Twenty minutes of reflow following 30 min of ischemia w as performed. Before the experiment, rats were treated PTX 50 mg/kg, IP or PTX 50 mg/kg IP + Q 10 mg/kg, intragastric, or untreated. Rats were divided into four groups: control (C), ischemia-reperfusion (IR), PTX-treated (P), and Q+PTX-treated (QP) groups. Hepatic glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehy de (MDA) levels and catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione perox idase (GSH-Px), and reductase (GSSGR) activities were measured. Results: In IR group GSH levels decreased (p < 0.01), conversely MDA levels increased (p < 0.01). PTX pretreatment did not affect GSH and MDA values, but Q+PTX pretreatment improved of those (p < 0.01). It was shown that cata lase and GSH-Px activities increased during ischemia-reperfusion (p < 0.01, both of), but PTX pretreatment did not significantly ameliorate those acti vities. GSSGR activity was higher in IR group than in basal levels (p < 0.0 1). The decrease GSSGR activity that was observed in P group was not signif icant compared to IR group. During ischemia/reperfusion also SOD activity i ncreased as compared with controls (p < 0.05). In PTX-treated group, SOD ac tivity was significantly higher than control and ischemia/reperfusion group s (p < 0.01, both of). Q + PTX treatment ameliorated those enzyme activitie s to the control values. Conclusions: Short-term hepatic ischemia-reperfusion diminished GSH, increa sed MDA levels and induced some antioxidant enzyme activities. Q+PTX pretre atment was useful in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury, but treatment of PTX alone did not cause beneficial effect in the present study. Copyright ( C) 1999 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists.