Effect Of Endothelin Antagonist On Hepatic Apoptosis In Rats With Obstructive Jaundice

Hepatic failure in patients with obstructive jaundice has a high morbidity and the importance has been attached to it by the specialists from different medical departments all over the world. The lesion of hepatic function is affected by multi-agents. Investigation manifest that the lesion of hepatic function in patients with obstructive jaundice is related more or less to apoptosis.Apoptosis as a mechanism of cell death exists in obstructive jaundice, the longer the time of obstructive jaundice in rats, the higher the level of apoptosis quantity, reach the high peak level on day 14. apoptosis first occurrenc in the region of center vein, company with cholangiectasis and cholestasis, and then diffuse from center to border area.Hepatic apoptosis is related to liver hemodynamics, endotoxemia, cholemia and other factors when they suffer from obstructive jaundice. And these factors are intimate with endothelin.To explore the mechanism of hepatic cell apoptosis, and the protection effect of caffeic acid in the liver in obstructive jaundice rats. 42 wister rats were separated into jaundiced group and control group. The rats in the control group were pseudo-operated (sham operated group), the rats in jaundiced group were made for the ones with obstructive jaundice, after this, these rats were random separated into sub-groups: treated with Saline and treated with caffeic acid. Each group was separated into subsection: 7d and 14d.We analysed the hepatic function and can obtain the results as follows:Alanine-aminotransferase and Total bilirubin in jaundice group were higher than in control group (P<0.01); Total bilirubin and Alanine-aminotransferase in treated with Saline were higher than in treated with caffeic acid in jaundice group under the same time. But has no difference in 7d (P>0.05), has phanero-difference in 14d (P<0.01).We also analysed the rate of hepatic apoptosis and can find the following results: A small quantity apoptosis in control group and has no difference(P>0.05); Hepatic apoptosis in jaundice group was higher than in control group(P<0.01); Hepatic apoptosis in 7d was evidently lower than in 14d in jaundice group(P<0.01); Hepatic apoptosis in treated with Saline was higher than in treated with caffeic acid in jaundice group under the same time. But has no difference in 7d (P>0.05), has phanero-difference in 14d (P<0.01). We examined the histopathological changes of hepatic tissues and can see: hepatic tissues were all normal hepatic lobule in control group; histopathological changes of hepatic tissues in 14d were more severity than in 7d in jaundice group; histopathological changes of hepatic tissues in treated with caffeic acid were no phanero-difference than in treated with Saline in 7d, but were less severity in 14d.Conclusion (1) Hepatic lesion and apoptosis in jaundice group were more severity than in control group; (2) Hepatic lesion and apoptosis in 7d were less severity than in 14d in jaundice group; (3) Hepatic lesion and apoptosis in treated with Saline were more severity than in treated with caffeic acid in jaundice group under the same time. We can draw the conclusions that hepatic injury during obstructive jaundice is related to apoptosis; Hepatic apoptosis was mainly induced by Endothelin in obstructive jaundice rats liver; As a endothelin receptor antagonist, Caffeic acid exertes protective effect on hepatic cells throughanti-apoptosis mechanism.