The Impact of Different Anesthetic Methods on Ischemia Reperfusion Injury Following Liver Transplantation

The occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications after hepatic reperfusion, such as in patients undergoing liver transplantation, is a major concern in the intensive care unit. Not only neutrophil infiltration, but also oxidative injuries, have been demonstrated after intra-operative hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) management. Previous studies have shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS) paly a major role in the ensuing damage, although I/R-induced remote organ injury is a complex and multifactorial process. Methods to reduce ROS generation, such as ischemic preconditioning, attenuate both liver and lung damage after hepatic I/R. Considering the intra-operative ROS production occurs after hepatic reperfusion , the choice of anesthetics may alter the magnitude of ROS production and the antioxidant capacity.

Volatile and non-volatile anesthetics can exert their antioxidant capacity through different mechanisms. Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) has been reported to provide antioxidant capacity by scavenging free radicals. However, volatile anesthetics such as isoflurane, desflurane or sevoflurane can reduce the oxidative damage through anesthetic preconditioning. Several animal studies demonstrate that volatile anesthetics offer more protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury than intravenous anesthetics. On the contrary, intravenous anesthetics may be more protective against sepsis-induced hepatic injury than volatile anesthetics. However, there are few investigations concerning the effects of different anesthetics on remote pulmonary injuries in clinical settings.

In this study, propofol and desflurane will be used for the maintenance of anesthesia during liver transplantation. The heart function, respiratory function, liver function, kidney function, the oxidative injuries and inflammatory mediators will be compared between the two groups.