Effects of Desflurane exposure and Laparotomy on genomic biomarkers and hepatic histopathology in an experimentally induced liver injury model: A pilot study

Abstract

Background Halogenated anesthetics are known to cause hepatotoxicity that can be evaluated by the emerging genomic biomarkers, that is, miRNA-122 and miRNA-192.Methods Thirty Wister rats were distributed randomly in five equal groups; Control Group (group C); Desflurane Group (group D); Hypoxia Group (group H); Hypoxia + Desflurane Group (group HD); and Hypoxia + Desflurane + Laparotomy Group (group HDL). Animals in the Groups D, HD, HDL were exposed to 6% desflurane. Rats were exposed to hypoxic mixture in Groups H, HD, and HDL. Animals in Group HDL were additionally subjected to laparotomy with liver palpation. After 24 hours, plasma ALT, AST, GGT, blood and tissue miR-122, and miR-192 gene expression and histopathological examination of liver biopsies were performed.Results Plasma and tissue miR122 and miR192 showed significant increase ascendingly in H, D, HD, HDL groups (p value <0.05), significant elevation of ALT, AST, GGT in HD and HDL groups (p value <0.05). Hepatic histopathological findings revealed 33.3% inflammatory infiltration in group D, 50% in group H, 66.6% in HD and HDL groups. 16.7% apoptosis was detected in D & H groups and 33.3% in HD and HDL groups, while none showed necrosis.Conclusion This experimental study concluded that each desflurane and hypoxia has deleterious effect on hepatic integrity, which increased by their combination and aggravated by surgical influence as verified by miR-122 and miR-192, as well as histopathological examination. Assessment of hepatotoxic effects of other various anesthetics and different surgical approaches in experimental study using hepatic genomic biomarkers is recommended.

Keywords

• Desflurane
• histopathology
• laparotomy
• liver injury model
• MiRNA