ObjectiveTo observe the effect of donor liver pretreated by breviscapine on liver transplantation ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. Methods SD rats served as liver donors and recipients (n =48 each).The recipients were divided into four groups by random number table.The donors in groups A and C were not pretreated with breviscapine,but those in groups B and D were pretreated with 20 mg/L Breviscapine.The cold ischemia time in donor livers of groups A and B was 30-40 min,and that in groups C and D was 12 h. Clotting function, liver function, serum thrombomodulin,caspase3,and relative activity of NF-kB after liver transplantation were assessed,and the pathological changes and TUNEL apoptosis staining were observed.ResultsThe mortality in groups C and D was 40.0％ (8/20) and 29.4％ (5/17),respectively (P＞0.05).There were no significant changes in coagulation function in all groups after operation. The liver function was improved,pathological lesions were alleviated,and apoptosis rate,serum TM,caspase3 expression and activity of NF-kB in the liver tissues of group D were significantly decreased as compared with group C at 3rd day after operation (P＜0.01),but all these parameters in group B had no significant change compared to group A.ConclusionPretreatment of donor livers with breviscapine can reduce the ischemia/reperfusion injury and apoptosis after liver transplantation in rats probably by inhibiting the apoptosis-related pathway and alleviating the damage to the endothelial cells of the liver microcirculation.