Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences, vol.24, no.1, pp.39-43, 1995 (Scopus)
An experimental study was carried out on rabbits to establish the effects of verapamil and α-tocopherol on liver ischemia and reperfusion injury. The animals were divided into three groups treated with either verapamil (Group I), α-tocopherol (Group II), or saline (Group III, control). The length of ischemia was determined for 60 minutes. In the 60th minute of reperfusion, 80% of the animals of Group I, 90% in Group II and 30% in Group III were alive. Hepatic tissue samples were taken to measure the values of ATP at the 15th, 30th and 60th minute after ischemia, and 60 minutes after reperfusion. In the 60th minute of reperfusion, tissue ATP values (X ± SD) in Group I reached the level of 51% of the preischemic period, whereas in Group III, this rate was only 18%. At this period, the tissue ATP values (X ± SD) in Group I were 5.069 ± 0.903 μmol/g, whereas in Group III, these values were 1.820 ± 0.466 μmol/g (t: -8.52, P <0.001). In the 60th minute of reperfusion, Group II tissue ATP values were found to be 5.268 ± 0.711 μmol/g. These values are significantly high compared with Group III (t: -10.93, P < 0.001). At this period, serum GOT and GPT values (X ± SD) in Group I and Group II were found to be significantly lower compared with those values of Group III. Thus verapamil and α-tocopherol are determined as effective at preventing the liver from warm ischemia and reperfusion injury in rabbits.