Divergent roles of superoxide and nitric oxide in reduced-size liver ischemia and reperfusion injury: Implications for partial liver transplantation

Hepatic resection with concomitant periods of ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) are required to perform partial liver transplantation procedures such as split liver or living donor transplantation. Although great progress has been made using these types of surgeries, there remains substantial risk to both donors and recipients, with a significant number of patients developing liver injury and failure during the course these operations. Therefore, there is need to investigate the different mechanisms responsible for the tissue injury induced by ischemia and reperfusion of a reduced-size liver (RSL + I/R) with the ultimate objective of developing new therapeutic agents that may limit hepatocellular damage induced during partial liver transplantation. This review summarizes recent studies that have been performed in a mouse model of RSL + I/R. In addition, we present data demonstrating how the pathophysiological mechanisms identified in this model compare to those observed in a rat model of RSL transplantation.