The Reaction of Posttransplant Denervated Liver on the Hemorrhagic Shock in Rats

Objective: The aims of the study were to determine the effects of denervation on the function of the liver transplantation as a blood reservoir and to define its vulnerability to ischemic-reperfusion (I/R) injury after hemorrhagic shock. Materials and methods: Hemorrhagic shock with a mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) of 40 to 50 mm Hg was induced by withdrawing blood at a rate of approximately 1 mL/min among 10 posttransplant denervated rats and 10 sham rats for 1 hour. The rats were then resuscitated by retransfusing the drawn blood with sacrifice under deep anesthesia at 1 hour after resuscitation. The total amount of blood required to achieve hemorrhagic shock was compared between groups as well as the vulnerability and reactions of the posttransplant denervated liver to I/R injury after hemorrhagic shock as assessed by gene expressions of c-jun, c-fos, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)6, IL-10, and heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70). Results: The volume of blood that had to be drawn to reach a MAP of 40 to 50 mm Hg was not significantly different between the groups. One hour of hemorrhagic shock followed by resuscitation resulted in significant increases in the genes expression of c-fos, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10, and HSP70 in comparison to the control values, but no difference was observed between experimental and sham groups. Conclusion: We suggest that the function of the liver as a blood reservoir and the gene expressions of c-fos and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, as well as the protective protein HSP70 in response to I/R injury, were not altered by liver transplantation.