Improvement of rat liver graft quality by pifithrin-alpha-mediated inhibition of hepatocyte necrapoptosis

Abstract

Early graft dysfunction due to ischemia reperfusion injury remains a major clinical challenge in liver transplantation. Because apoptosis may contribute to graft dysfunction, we studied whether transient inhibition of p53 is capable of improving graft quality by reducing apoptotic cell death. Rat livers were harvested and stored for 24 hours or 48 hours in a 4 degrees C solution containing either pifithrin-alpha (PFT-alpha), a specific p53-inhibitor, or the vehicle dimethyl-sulfoxide. Storage was followed by 2-hour reperfusion with 37 degrees C Krebs-Henseleit buffer in an isolated liver perfusion system. Besides caspase-3 activation, apoptosis was quantified using fluorescence microscopy and hematoxylin-eosin histology. Trypan blue allowed for assessment of cell membrane damage, indicating both secondary apoptosis and primary necrosis. Bile flow, oxygen consumption, K(+)-excretion and enzyme release served as indicators of overall graft quality. Upon 2-hour reperfusion, livers developed procaspase activation as well as a mixture of apoptotic and necrotic cell death, representing necrapoptosis. In livers that had been stored for 48 hours, necrapoptotic injury was more pronounced compared with that after 24-hour storage. PFT-alpha effectively attenuated caspase activation as well as hepatocellular apoptosis and necrosis. Attenuation of both modes of cell death by PFT-alpha was associated with improved liver function, metabolism, and integrity. Experiments with the caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk confirmed that apoptosis is one mode of cell death in cold ischemia reperfusion. In conclusion, inhibition of p53-dependent apoptosis by PFT-alpha reduces hepatic preservation-reperfusion injury and improves primary organ function and metabolism. Fortification of the preservation solution with PFT-alpha may represent a promising and easily applicable approach to mitigate reperfusion injury in liver transplants.