DADLE improves hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice via activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway

Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common pathophysiological process that occurs following liver surgery, which is associated with oxidative stress, and can cause acute liver injury and lead to liver failure. Recently, the development of drugs for the prevention of hepatic I/R injury has garnered interest in the field of liver protection research. Previous studies have demonstrated that [D-Ala(2), D-Leu(5)]-Enkephalin (DADLE) exerts protective effects against hepatic I/R injury. To further clarify the specific mechanism underlying the effects of DADLE on hepatic I/R injury, the present study aimed to observe the effects of various doses of DADLE on hepatic I/R injury in mice. The results indicated that DADLE, at a concentration of 5 mg/kg, significantly reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in the serum, and the levels of malondialdehyde in the liver homogenate. Conversely, the levels of glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase in the liver homogenate were increased. In addition, DADLE was able to promote nuclear factor, erythroid 2 like 2 (Nrf2) nuclear translocation and upregulate the expression of heme oxygenase (HO)-1, which is a factor downstream of Nrf2, thus improving hepatic I/R injury in mice. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that DADLE was able to significantly improve hepatic I/R injury in mice, and the specific mechanism may be associated with the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.