POSSIBLE INFLUENCE OF GLUTATHIONE ON POSTISCHEMIC LIVER INJURY

Abstract

The effect of the free radical scavenger glutathione (GSH) on the early postischemic liver cell death was studied on liver tissue of the rat. Animals with different preischemic liver GSH contents were subjected to a 90 min period of ischemia, followed by a 3 h period of reperfusion. Cell death was evaluated morphologically by estimating intracellular Ca, using the stain Alizarin red S, and by dye-exclusion test using Evans blue. The extent of postischemic injury was also assessed by registration of the membrane potential in liver cells. Four groups of animals were studied: fed rats, fed rats pretreated with diethylmaleate, rats fasted for 48 h and fasted rats pretreated with CoCl2. The early postischemic cell death was more extensive in rats with low initial GSH content (group 2 and 3), than in rats with high GSH content (group 1 and 4). GSH is apparently protective against postischemic injury, probably by reducing lipid peroxidation.