α-Lipoic acid and ebselen prevent ischemia/reperfusion injury in the rat intestine

Purpose Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), generated during tissue reperfusion, are characteristic of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. We conducted this study to evaluate the protective effect of α-lipoic acid (α-LA) and ebselen against intestinal I/R injury. Methods Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: a sham-operated group; an I/R group, subjected to intestinal ischemia for 45 min and reperfusion for 3 days; an I/R+α-LA group; an I/R+ebselen group; and an I/R+α-LA+ebselen group. We collected ileal specimens, to measure the tissue levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl content (PCC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and to evaluate the histologic changes. Results There was a significant decrease in SOD and GPx levels, with an increase in MDA and PCC levels and intestinal mucosal injury in the intestinal I/R group ( P < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase and GPx levels were significantly higher, MDA and PCC levels were significantly lower, and intestinal injury was significantly less severe in the I/R+α-LA+ebselen group than in the I/R group ( P < 0.05). Although shortened villi and epithelial lifting were seen in the I/R group, only slight mucosal injury was seen in the treatment groups. Conclusion α-Lipoic acid and ebselen played an important role in attenuating I/R injury of the intestine by scavenging ROS and RNS.