Propofol Displays Protective Effect Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury To Rabbit Liver In Different Liver Oxygen Consumption

BACKGROUND: Propofol have been reported to have a protective effect against liver ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) injury. I/R is a common clinical pathophysiological event with a potentially serious harm to liver. On one hand, Propofol has an anti-oxidant activity, which may have a beneficial effect during the I/R injury,On the other hand, a constant infusion of propofol makes the liver oxygen consumption (hVO₂) obviously increase. Furthermore, as the dose of propofol increased or infusion of time prolonged, the hVO₂ will increase more distinctly. Under the high metabolic condition that the hepatic oxygen delivery(hDO₂) and hVO₂ increase at the same time, if the liver suffers from I/R, it has been hardly proved by experimental and clinical data whether propofol has a protective effect on the liver I/R injury or makes the liver I/R injury heavier. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how the hDO₂ and hVO₂ change by a constant infusion of propofol for the different time, and under the different hVO₂ caused by the different length of time to infuse propofol, whether or not propofol had a protective effect on the rabbit liver under the I/R condition .As a result, it could lead to a new strategy for hepatic protection by using propofol under the I/R condition.METHODS: In the first part, 20 mature New Zealand white rabbits...