Abstract:

The effect of verapamil on the survival rate, hepatic adenosine 5‘-triphosphate, and hepatic malondialdehyde levels of cirrhotic rats exposed to a warm hepatic ischemia-reperfusion episode was investigated. While 90% of saline-treated cirrhotic rats survived after 30 minutes of total hepatic ischemia, the survival rate decreased to 20% when ischemia was prolonged to 40 minutes. A survival rate of 50% was obtained when verapamil was administered to cirrhotic rats exposed to hepatic ischemia of 40 minutes duration, showing a remarkable protective effect of verapamil in this model. The decrease in hepatic adenosine 5’- triphosphate level after 40 minutes of ischemia was significantly less in the verapamil-treated rats and the recovery after 1 hour of reflow was more prominent, compared with saline-treated controls. Nevertheless, control animals were able to restore their hepatic adenosine 5'-triphosphate levels after reperfusion. Hepatic malondialdehyde levels after ischemia and after reflow were significantly lower in the verapamil- treated group than those of controls. The findings suggest that the beneficial effect of verapamil on ischemia-reperfusion-induced liver injury in cirrhotic rats is related to the inhibition of lipid peroxidation. This effect, by inference, might overlap or bring about an enhanced post-reflow mitochondrial energy charge restoration, which might contribute to the protection afforded by verapamil.

Keywords: