Objective: To assess the effect of trimetazidine (an anti-anginal drug that acts as a scavenger of oxygen free radicals) in the protection of hepatocytes after a 90 minute period of warm ischaemia followed by reperfusion in rats.
Design: Prospective study.
Material: 80 Wistar rats.
Interventions: 20 Rats were given a single dose of trimetazidine 2.5 mg/kg intravenously 30 minutes before the induction of ischaemia; 20 received the same dose intraperitoneally twice a day for five days before the experiment and one dose intravenously 30 minutes before; 20 were given a single dose of 2.5 mg/kg intravenously after reperfusion had been started; and 20 acted as controls. All rats underwent liver biopsy through a laparotomy incision on postoperative days 2, 7, and 21, and the activities of liver enzymes in their blood were measured before induction of ischaemia and two, seven, 14, and 21 days afterwards.
Outcome measures: Histological changes and serum enzyme activities.
Results: The amount of centrilobular necrosis of hepatocytes, and the activity of hepatic enzymes were greatest on day 2, as was the reduction in superoxide dismutase activity in the erythrocytes. A single dose of trimetazidine, whether given before or after the ischaemic episode, gave significant protection to hepatocytes, but pretreatment for five days was even more effective.
Conclusion: Trimetazidine protected rats' livers from injury after a period of warm ischaemia and reperfusion.