Abstract

Ischemia-reperfusion injury associated with liver transplantation remains a serious complication in clinical practice. In the present study the effect of intake of alpha-tocopherol or beta-carotene to limit liver injury by oxidative stress in ischemia and reperfusion was explored. Wistar rats were fed with diets enriched with alpha-tocopherol (20 mg/day) or beta-carotene (3 mg/day) for 21 days. After 21 days, their livers were subjected to 15 and 30 min of ischemia and afterwards were reperfused for 60 min. The recovery of levels of ATP during reperfusion was better in the group of rats whose diets were supplemented with alpha-tocopherol or beta-carotene than in the group control. The supplementation of the diet induced changes in the profile of enzymatic antioxidants. The supplementation with alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene resulted in a decreased of superoxide dismutase during the ischemia and a recovery was observed after reperfusion. Not changes were observed for the enzymes catalase and glutathione peroxidase and glutathione but their values were higher to those of the group control. In conclusion, the supplementation with alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene improve the antioxidant and energetic state of liver after ischemia and reperfusion injury.