Effects of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury on the hepatic mixed function oxidase system in rats

TD Lindstrom, BR Hanssen and AM Bendele

Department of Drug Metabolism, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana 46285.

Hepatic ischemia induced in vivo by ligation of the left hepatic lobe of rats for up to 2 hr had no effect on cytochrome P-450, cytochrome c reductase, or lobe histology; however, cytochrome b5 increased with ischemia duration. Ethylmorphine demethylation decreased 35% after 2 hr of ischemia. Reperfusion of tissue previously made ischemic for up to 2 hr was associated with appreciable necrosis as well as decreases in cytochrome P-450, cytochrome b5, cytochrome c reductase, and ethylmorphine demethylation. Serum alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase concentrations were increased by reperfusion of previously ischemic tissue. Reperfusion of the previously ischemic lobe for 18 hr was associated with a greater loss of cytochromes P-450 and b5, cytochrome c reductase, and ethylmorphine demethylation than reperfusion for 1 hr. The total decrease in cytochrome P-450 and b5 content was equal to the decrease in total microsomal heme content, although cytochrome P-450 decreased more than cytochrome b5. Ethoxyresorufin deethylation by hepatic microsomes from 3- methylcholanthrene-treated rats was decreased by ischemia-reperfusion; however, pentoxyresorufin dealkylation by hepatic microsomes from phenobarbital-treated rats was not, suggesting specific cytochrome P- 450 isozyme loss. In vitro NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation in hepatic microsomes from control and phenobarbital- and 3- methylcholanthrene-treated rats resulted in a selective decrease of ethoxyresorufin but not pentoxyresorufin dealkylation, similar to that observed in livers subjected to ischemia-reperfusion in vivo. These data suggest that cytochrome P-450, ethylmorphine demethylation, and ethoxyresorufin deethylation are more susceptible to ischemia- reperfusion injury than cytochrome b5 or pentoxyresorufin dealkylation.

Volume 38, Issue 6, pp. 829-835, 12/01/1990
Copyright © 1990 by American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics