title: Nitric oxide production by mononuclear leukocytes in alcoholic cirrhosis.
abstract: Nitric oxide is now established as a biological mediator of clinical relevance. The present study investigated the production of nitric oxide by lympho-mononuclear leukocytes from alcoholic patients with either hepatitis or cirrhosis. The study included 42 patients, 12 without any liver disease and 30 alcoholic patients, 13 of whom had histologically confirmed cirrhosis and 17 alcoholic hepatitis. Cells were obtained from peripheral blood by density gradient and incubated in sterile conditions in RPMI 1640 for 6 h at 37 degrees C. Culture supernatants were assayed for nitrite concentration using the Griess reaction. Cells from cirrhotic but not from hepatopathic patients showed significantly higher nitrite production than controls (cirrhotic, 0.36 +/- 0.07; hepatopathic, 0.13 +/- 0.02; control: 0.25 +/- 0.05 nmol/10(6) cells/6 h). In cirrhotic patients L-Nitro-arginine methylester inhibited nitrite production (0.18 +/- 0.05). These data suggest that alcoholic cirrhotic but nonhepatopathic patients show an increased nitric oxide production by blood lymphomononuclear cells. This production could be involved in the systemic vasodilation in cirrhotic patients.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Criado-Jiménez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rivas-Cabañero
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martín-Oterino
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: López-Novoa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D009573:Nitrites; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester