BACKGROUND: Brain-dead donors are the main sources for organ transplantation, but many studies show that brain-death affects the organ's function after transplantation. This study was undertaken to investigate liv...BACKGROUND: Brain-dead donors are the main sources for organ transplantation, but many studies show that brain-death affects the organ's function after transplantation. This study was undertaken to investigate liver injury after brain-death in BA-Ma mini pigs and the protective effects of breviscapine on hepatic function and on PKC-alpha mRNA and its protein expression. METHODS: Fifteen BA-Ma mini pigs were equally divided into 3 groups at random: brain-dead (group B), breviscapine pretreated (group P), and control (group Q. The brain-dead model was established by increasing intracranial pressure in a modified, slow and intermittent way. At 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours after the initial brain-death, the levels of serum AST, ALT, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 were determined. The changes in hepatic tissues were assessed, and the expression of PKC-alpha and PKC-alpha mRNA was detected by immunohistochemistry and RTPCR, respectively. RESULTS: The levels of AST and ALT in groups B and P began to increase 12 hours after brain-death, while the values in group P were lower than those in group B (P<0.05). The levels of IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha in groups B and P at 3, 6, 12 and 18 hours were lower than those in group B (P<0.05). At 6, 12 and 24 hours, the expressions of PKC-a mRNA and PKC-a protein in group P were lower than those in group B (P<0.05). The degree of injury to hepatic cells in group P was milder than that in group B. CONCLUSIONS: Breviscapine inhibits the degree of PKC-alpha mRNA transcription and its protein translation, decreases the release of inflammatory factors, and thus alleviates hepatic injury during brain-death.展开更多
基金This study was supported by a grant from the Distinguished Innovation of Henan Province (0421002500).
文摘BACKGROUND: Brain-dead donors are the main sources for organ transplantation, but many studies show that brain-death affects the organ's function after transplantation. This study was undertaken to investigate liver injury after brain-death in BA-Ma mini pigs and the protective effects of breviscapine on hepatic function and on PKC-alpha mRNA and its protein expression. METHODS: Fifteen BA-Ma mini pigs were equally divided into 3 groups at random: brain-dead (group B), breviscapine pretreated (group P), and control (group Q. The brain-dead model was established by increasing intracranial pressure in a modified, slow and intermittent way. At 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours after the initial brain-death, the levels of serum AST, ALT, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 were determined. The changes in hepatic tissues were assessed, and the expression of PKC-alpha and PKC-alpha mRNA was detected by immunohistochemistry and RTPCR, respectively. RESULTS: The levels of AST and ALT in groups B and P began to increase 12 hours after brain-death, while the values in group P were lower than those in group B (P<0.05). The levels of IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha in groups B and P at 3, 6, 12 and 18 hours were lower than those in group B (P<0.05). At 6, 12 and 24 hours, the expressions of PKC-a mRNA and PKC-a protein in group P were lower than those in group B (P<0.05). The degree of injury to hepatic cells in group P was milder than that in group B. CONCLUSIONS: Breviscapine inhibits the degree of PKC-alpha mRNA transcription and its protein translation, decreases the release of inflammatory factors, and thus alleviates hepatic injury during brain-death.
