Comparative study of amlodipine vs. cilnidipine for the prevention of hepatic ischemia‐reperfusion injury in rat model

Ca 2+ signaling plays crucial role in ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury. Although blockade of L‐type Ca 2+ channels by amlodipine ( AML ) has been shown to suppress hepatic I/R injury in several animal models, information is still needed regarding the hepatoprotective effects of the dual L/N‐type Ca 2+ channel blockers, cilnidipine ( CIL ). We examined the effect of pretreatment with AML or CIL (100 μg/kg i.p.) 45 min before induction of 60 min of liver ischemia followed by reperfusion, on oxidative stress markers, liver enzymes, serum tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐1β, apoptosis markers, and nuclear factor KB after 6 and 24 h of hepatic reperfusion. Both drugs significantly ameliorated biochemical and histological markers of hepatic I/R injury, but protection with CIL was more significant at the 6‐h time point where protection with AML outlasted that of CIL . Both drugs offered significant protection against hepatic I/R damage, but the protection with CIL seemed more potent but of shorter duration than that observed with AML possibly due to the shorter half‐life of CIL .