Description of a Recovery Model in Rabbits for the Study of the Late Phase of Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

AIM:Description of an anesthetic recovery model with endotracheal intubation in rabbits which provides metabolic stability for the study of the late phase of liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Two groups of New Zealand rabbits, n=7 in each, were used: Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) group (45 min of partial liver ischemia/reperfusion) and no intervention (sham) group. Blood alanine aminotransferase, lactate, pH values, mean arterial pressure and pCO2 were calculated at baseline, and at 2 and 24 h post reperfusion. Tissue samples from left (ischemic) and right (non-ischemic) liver lobes were examined at 2 and 24 h after reperfusion. RESULTS:The I/R group presented significantly higher levels of alanine aminotransferase (p=0.001) at 2 and 24 h, and of lactate (p=0.016) at 2 h post reperfusion. No differences were documented for pH, mean arterial pressure and pCO2 Histological exanimation revealed significant injury at 24 h post reperfusion for the I/R group. CONCLUSION:This anesthetic recovery model permitted avoidance of hypoxia and respiratory acidosis, allowing the study of the late phase of I/R injury.