Protective role of NO in hepatic microcirculatory dysfunction during endotoxemia.
Nitric oxide (NO) has been reported to have a protective function in attenuating hepatic injury during endotoxemia or sepsis. As a result, the role of NO in attenuating the hepatic microcirculatory alterations associated with endotoxemia was investigated in mice by in vivo microscopy. The livers were examined 2 h after intravenous injection of Escherichia coli 0111:B4 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone or in combination with inhibitors of the synthesis of NO, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester or NG-monomethyl-L-arginine. In the animals treated with the combination of NO synthase inhibitors and LPS, leukocyte adherence was increased threefold above that in animals treated with LPS alone. This was accompanied by a 33% reduction in sinusoidal blood flow. Simultaneous administration of L-arginine, but not D-arginine, eliminated these microcirculatory disturbances. The results demonstrate that inhibition of LPS-stimulated NO production results in an early hepatic microvascular inflammatory response to a dose of endotoxin which by itself is scarcely inflammatory. This suggests that NO plays a significant role in stabilizing the hepatic microcirculation during endotoxemia, thereby helping to protect the liver from ischemia and leukocyte-induced oxidative injury.
Nishida
J
J
Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724.
McCuskey
R S
RS
McDonnell
D
D
Fox
E S
ES
D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine
D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester