Cell apoptosis and Fas gene expression in liver and renal tissues after ischemia-reperfusion injury in liver transplantation.

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is an important factor in a nonfunctioning liver graft and acute renal failure. Apoptosis is a cell death mechanism in early stages of I/R injury. In the present study, orthotopic liver transplantation (oLT) using a modified double-cuff method was performed in Wistar rats, with sham-operated rats serving as the control group. Rats in the treatment and control groups were sacrificed at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after oLT to obtain liver and kidney tissues. Fas protein expression in apoptotic cells at various times was detected at immunohistochemical staining and flow cytometry, and Fas gene expression was detected using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Apoptosis began in liver and renal cells at 1 hour after oLT, peaking at 12 hours. The reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction demonstrated Fas gene expression in liver and renal tissues at 1 hour post-oLT, peaking at 12 hours. Changes in the treatment group were significantly greater than in the control group (P < .05). We conclude that renal cells, like liver cells, undergo apoptosis due to I/R injury after oLT.