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World J Hepatol. Sep 27, 2026; 18(9): 122845
Published online Sep 27, 2026. doi: 10.4254/wjh.122845
Effects of fullerenol C60 on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in desflurane-anesthetized rats
Esat Kasapbasi, Cagri Ozdemir, Aydin Yavuz, Saban Cem Sezen, Omer Kurtipek, Mustafa Kavutçu, Mustafa Arslan
Esat Kasapbasi, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, 29 Mayıs State Hospital, Ankara 06000, Türkiye
Cagri Ozdemir, Omer Kurtipek, Mustafa Arslan, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara 06000, Türkiye
Aydin Yavuz, Department of General Surgery, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara 06000, Türkiye
Saban Cem Sezen, Department of Histology and Embryology, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale 71450, Türkiye
Mustafa Kavutçu, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara 06000, Türkiye
Mustafa Arslan, Life Sciences Application and Research Center, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara 06000, Türkiye
Mustafa Arslan, Laboratory Animal Breeding and Experimental Researches Center (GÜDAM), Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara 06000, Türkiye
Author contributions: Arslan M was responsible for conceptualization, study protocol development, supervision of experimental procedures and overall project coordination; Kurtipek O was responsible for preparation for statistical analysis, data interpretation manuscript writing; Kasapbasi E was responsible for project coordination and manuscript writing, experimental procedures; Kavutçu M was responsible for biochemical analyses and interpretation of biochemical findings; Ozdemir C was responsible for experimental procedures, data collection and data organization; Sezen SC was responsible for histopathological examinations and interpretation of histological findings; Yavuz A was responsible for study protocol, development and supervision of experimental procedures.
AI contribution statement: No artificial intelligence tools were used in the preparation, writing, analysis, or editing of this manuscript.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: The experimental protocol was reviewed and approved by the Gazi University Experimental Animals Ethics Committee prior to the study (Approval No. G.Ü.ET-22.021; Approval date: February 24, 2022).
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Cagri Ozdemir, Doctor, Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Kazakistan Caddesi 1d, Ankara 06000, Türkiye.
cagriozdemir@gazi.edu.tr
Received: April 29, 2026
Revised: July 3, 2026
Accepted: August 28, 2026
Published online: September 27, 2026
Processing time: 141 Days and 10 Hours
BACKGROUND
Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) occurs in various clinical settings, including liver surgery, transplantation, trauma, hemorrhagic shock, and temporary vascular occlusion. It is associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and hepatocellular injury. Desflurane is an inhalational anesthetic, and fullerenol C60 is a carbon-derived compound investigated for possible tissue-protective effects.
AIM
To evaluate their effects on hepatic IRI in rats.
METHODS
Thirty rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 6 each): Control, IRI, IRI + fullerenol C60 (IRI-F), IRI + desflurane, and IRI-F + desflurane (IRI-F-D). Hepatic ischemia was induced for 120 minutes, followed by 120 minutes of reperfusion. Fullerenol C60 (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) was administered 30 minutes before ischemia, and desflurane (6%) was administered during the ischemia-reperfusion period. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and arylesterase (ARE) activities were measured. Histopathological examination included assessment of hepatocyte degeneration, sinusoidal dilatation, pyknotic nuclei, necrotic cells, and parenchymal mononuclear cell infiltration.
RESULTS
MDA levels were significantly higher in the IRI group than in the control group (0.25 ± 0.01 nmol/mg protein vs 0.10 ± 0.01 nmol/mg protein, P < 0.0001), whereas all treatment groups showed significantly lower MDA levels than the IRI group. CAT, GST, and ARE activities were significantly reduced in the IRI group but improved in the treatment groups (P < 0.0001 for all). Histopathological analysis demonstrated significant intergroup differences in hepatocyte degeneration (P = 0.003), sinusoidal dilatation (P = 0.018), pyknotic nuclei (P = 0.031), and mononuclear cell infiltration (P = 0.003). The most severe injury was observed in the IRI group, whereas fullerenol-treated groups showed marked improvement. Necrotic cell counts did not differ significantly among groups (P = 0.113).
CONCLUSION
Fullerenol C60 attenuated hepatic IRI by reducing lipid peroxidation, preserving antioxidant enzyme activity, and improving histopathological findings. Desflurane also exerted protective effects. However, direct pairwise comparisons between the IRI-F and IRI-F-D groups showed no statistically significant differences in any biochemical or histopathological parameter, indicating that combined treatment did not provide a significant additional benefit over fullerenol C60 alone (all P > 0.05). Fullerenol C60 may represent a promising adjunctive approach for reducing hepatic injury associated with ischemia-reperfusion.
Core Tip: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) remains a major challenge during liver surgery and transplantation because oxidative stress and inflammation can cause significant tissue damage. This experimental study demonstrated that fullerenol C60 significantly reduced lipid peroxidation, preserved endogenous antioxidant enzyme activity, and improved histopathological liver injury in desflurane-anesthetized rats. Desflurane also provided partial protection, although the combined treatment showed no clear superiority over fullerenol alone. These findings suggest that fullerenol C60 may be a promising adjunctive strategy for limiting hepatic IRI and preserving liver function. Further translational and clinical studies are required to confirm optimal dosing, mechanisms, safety, and therapeutic applicability in humans.
