Evaluation of the hepatoprotective effect of Flourensia cernua against the damage induced ischemia-reperfusion in Wistar rats.

Introduction and Objectives

Liver transplantation is the optimal treatment in patients with irreversible liver damage. The principal complication of a transplant is ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R), which induces primary graft rejection. Treatment with plant extracts prior to I/R has decreased the severity of this injury due to their potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. A plant that presents potential antioxidant activity is Flourensia cernua (Fc). The objective was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of Flourensia cernua against the damage induced by ischemia-reperfusion in Wistar rats.

Materials an Patients

42 mixed Wistar rats were sorted into 7 groups (n=6). Fc was administered (200 mg/kg/, p.o/5 days) followed by I/R clamping of the left portal triad producing 1hr of 70% ischemia and 2 or 24hrs of reperfusion. Biochemical and oxidative stress biomarkers, proinflammatory cytokine and gene expression were determined. Ethics Committee approval under HI17-00002 registry and PAICYT 152-CS-2022 financing. The research group declares no conflict of interest.

Results

The I/R groups with 2 (IR2hr) and 24 hour (IR24hr) reperfusion displayed significantly elevated ALT and AST concentrations vs. Sham (SH); only FcIR2hr significantly decreased these enzymes (Figure 1). The remaining biochemical parameters did not show any significant differences between the groups. IR2hr group induced a statistically significant alteration of oxidative stress biomarkers, Fc counteracted these effects, with a decrease of malondialdehyde(MDA) and an increase of reduced glutathione (GSH) and the superoxide dismutase(SOD) (Figure 2). The gene expression of NFκβ was increased in IR2hr group, the treatment with F. cernua counteracted this increase. TNF-α was significantly increased in the IR2hr group and decreased in the treatment group.

Conclusions

I/R is a widely studied injury model, capable of inducing pathological changes in several spheres, not unlike the observed results in the present study; the hydroalcoholic extract of Fc displayed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity at 200mg/kg, it was not toxic and proved to be hepatoprotective against I/R.

Ethical statement

The protocol was registered and approved by the Ethics Committee.

Declaration of interests

None

Funding

Financing from PAICYT 152-CS-2022

Figure 1. Evaluation of the hepatoprotective activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of Flourensia cernua (EHFc). Levels of serum ALT and AST in different study groups. a) I/R at 24h after reperfusion, b) I/R at 2h after reperfusion. (Mean ± SD. **** P˂0.0001, *** P˂0.001 vs. the I/R group; n=6 for each group). Sham (healthy control group), I/R (damage control group), EHFc + I/R (treatment group).

Figure 2. Evaluation of oxidative stress in hepatic tissue. a)Malonaldehyde (MDA), b)Reduced glutathione (GSH), c)Superoxide dismutase(SOD). (Mean ± SD. ****P˂0.0001, ***P˂0.001, *P˂0.05 vs. the I/R at 2h after reperfusion group; n=6 for each group). Sham (healthy control group), I/R (damage control group), EHFc + I/R (treatment group).