Summary
This study was undertaken to examine the mechanism by which danaparoid sodium (DS),
a heparinoid that contains mainly heparan sulfate, prevents reperfusion-induced hepatic
damage in a rat model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced liver injury. Administration
of DS significantly reduced liver injury and inhibited the decrease in hepatic tissue
blood flow in rats. DS attenuated hepatic I/R-induced increases in hepatic tissue
levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in vivo. In contrast, neither monocytic TNF production nor neutrophil activation was inhibited
by DS in vitro. DS enhanced I/R-induced increases in levels of calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP),
a neuropeptide released from sensory neurons, and of 6-ketoprostaglandin (PG) F1α, a stable metabolite of PGI2, in liver tissues. The therapeutic effects of DS were not seen in animals pretreated
with capsazepine, an inhibitor of sensory neuron activation. The distribution of heparan
sulfate in the perivascular area was significantly increased by DS administration
in this rat model. DS significantly increased CGRP release from isolated rat dorsal
root ganglion neurons (DRG) in vitro, while DX-9065a, a selective inhibitor of activated factor X, did not. DS enhanced
anandamide-induced CGRP release from DRG in vitro. These observations strongly suggested that DS might reduce I/R-induced liver injury
in rats by attenuating inflammatory responses. These therapeutic effects of DS might
be at least partly explained by its enhancement of sensory neuron activation, leading
to the increase the endothelial production of PGI2.
Keywords
Capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons - Calcitonin-gene related peptide - TNF