Bucillamine improves hepatic microcirculation and reduces hepatocellular injury after liver warm ischaemia-reperfusion injury

AbstractBackgroundLiver transplantation and resection surgery involve a period of ischaemia and reperfusion to the liver which initiates an inflammatory cascade resulting in liver and remote organ injury. Bucillamine is a low-molecular-weight thiol antioxidant that is capable of rapidly entering cells.MethodsThe effect of bucillamine was studied in a rat model of liver ischaemia–reperfusion injury with 45min of partial (70%) liver ischaemia and at 3 and 24h of reperfusion. Controls included ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) only, sham and bucillamine alone (without ischaemia reperfusion). Liver injury was assessed by serum transaminases (AST and ALT). Sinusoidal blood flow and hepatocyte apoptosis were measured using intravital microscopy (IVM).ResultsThe hepatocellular injury of I/R produced a markedly elevated serum AST which was reduced with bucillamine (2072.5 ± 511.79 vs. 932 ± 200.8, P < 0.05) at 3h reperfusion. Bucillamine treatment with I/R also increased parenchymal blood flow [red blood cell (RBC) velocity 242.66 ± 16.86 vs. 181.11 ± 17.59, at the end of 3h of reperfusion) and reduced hepatocyte necrosis/apoptosis at 3h as well as 24h (P > 0.001).ConclusionBucillamine reduces the hepatocellular injury of liver ischaemia reperfusion and improves parenchymal perfusion