Back to 2011 Program

Background/Aim: Most of the studies related to liver protection from ischemia/reperfusion injury are related to ischemic preconditioning. This effect is associated with uncoupling of mitochondrial respiratory chain. Previous studies demonstrated that lipid infusion increased the production of uncoupling protein in hepatocytes. We hypothesized that diets enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) may have a preconditioning effect on liver ischemia/reperfusion injury. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of PUFAs rich diet on hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injuryMethods: Wistar male rats were fed a standard diet (SD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) enriched with ω-6 and ω-3 PUFA or only ω-6 for 4 weeks and evaluated in pre and post-ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) conditions. In pre-I/R condition livers were collected for determination of fatty acid composition, liver mitochondrial function, expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α) gene, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and histological analysis. Rats were submitted to partial liver ischemia during an hour. Four hours after liver reperfusion serum activities of AST and ALT, serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, and PGE2, liver mitochondrial function, MDA content, and histology were evaluated. Results: The HFD groups showed a significant liver mitochondrial uncoupling and increase in MDA content compared to the SD groups. Four hours after I/R injury a reduction of liver damage with decrease in serum activities of AST and ALT, in liver mitochondrial dysfunction and in histological analysis, and a marked reduction on systemic inflammation were found in the HFD groups when compared to the group SD. Conclusion: High-fat diets enriched with PUFAs have a preconditioning effect protecting the liver from ischemia/reperfusion injury and should be object of future studies.