Growth hormone prevents acute liver injury induced by cardiopulmonary bypass in a rat model

These results suggest that growth hormone prevents cardiopulmonary bypass-induced acute liver injury in a rat model through decreases in acute-phase proteins, proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β, and hepatocyte apoptosis, which is associated with increases in constitutive hepatic proteins, total liver protein content, and hepatocyte proliferation. This strategy of pretreatment with growth hormone might be a prospective management for preventing acute liver injury when major cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass is performed.