The Experimental Study On The Protective Effect And Mechanisms Of Melatonin In The Rat Liver Transplantation Ischemia-reperfusion Injury

Objective To study whether the melatonin can lessen the ischemia-reperfusion injury of liver transplantation through inhibiting the expression of the nuclear factor kappa B in rat.Methods The models of orthotopic liver transplantation were established in rats. one hundred and five male rats were randomly divided into four groups: group A (sham-operation group,n=15),groupB(control group,n=30), groupC(vehicle group,n=30),groupD (melatonin group,n=30).Five models of every group were killed at 1st,6th and 12th hours after transplantation. After collecting the fresh liver tissue sample and blood, the histopathologic alterations were observed under light microscope,serum ALT,AST,LDH were examined, the expression of nuclear factor kappa B p65 was assessed by immunohistochemistry respectively.Results The expression of nuclear factor kappa B p65 and the values of serum ALT,AST,LDH in A group were markedly down regulated than that in the other groups at each corresponding time point(p<0.05);all above-mentioned indexes in group D were significantly lower than in group B and C.(P<0.05); there were no significantly differences between group B and C.(P>0.05). The histopathologic alterations under light microscope in group A were basically normal; in group B, with the time going on, the histopathologic changes gradually aggravated, the changes included different degrees of hepatic congestion,configuration destroy of hepatic sinusoid,degeneration and necrosis of liver cell; the changes mentioned under light microscope in group D were milder than in group B and C.Conclusion Melatonin can down-regulate the expression of NF-κBp65 in rat liver graft and protect the liver transplantation ischemia-reperfusion injury.