Ischemic preconditioning and intermittent ischemia preserve bile flow in a rat model of ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury of the liver is associated with impaired bile secretion, but the effects of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and intermittent ischemia (INT) on bile flow are unknown. A rat model of segmental (60%-70%) hepatic ischemia and reperfusion was employed to test the effects of IPC and INT on bile flow. Continuous clamping for 45 min (CC) substantially reduced bile flow, and this did not recover after 60 min of reperfusion. IPC and INT caused a significant recovery of bile flow. The elevation in plasma liver marker enzymes induced by CC was not reduced by IPC and INT. Light microscopy showed mild hepatocyte damage in all groups. In the CC group, the amount of F-actin localized around the bile canaliculi in the ischemic lobes was less than that in the nonischemic lobes, but this difference was not observed in the IPC and INT groups. It is concluded that IPC and INT substantially alleviate the decrease in bile flow induced by ischemia. Bile flow may be useful in the assessment of IR injury.