title: Does nitric oxide protect from microcirculatory disturbances in experimental acute pancreatitis in rats?
abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate the potential role of nitric oxide (NO) on the microcirculation in experimental acute pancreatitis in rats. Twenty-five rats were divided into the following groups: group A (5 rats) = control; group B (5 rats) = acute pancreatitis induced by retrograde taurocholate infusion into the pancreatobiliary duct without treatment; group C (5 rats) = acute pancreatitis treated with the NO donor L-arginine; group D (5 rats) = acute pancreatitis treated with the NO synthase inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA); group E (5 rats) = without pancreatitis receiving L-NNA. The animals were observed throughout 4 h. The microcirculatory values of the pancreas, liver, colon, stomach and kidney were measured by means of laser Doppler flowmetry. Three animals of group D died after the third hour of the experiment. In rats with pancreatitis, a rapid decrease in microcirculatory values was observed. The most pronounced drop in capillary blood flow within all the organs was observed in rats treated with the NO synthase inhibitor L-NNA, L-arginine administration in rats with acute pancreatitis slightly improved the microcirculatory values, although the improvement was significant in colon perfusion only. We conclude that NO may have a beneficial influence on the capillary organ perfusion in acute pancreatitis. The administration of an NO synthase inhibitor seems to have a detrimental effect on acute pancreatitis.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dobosz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hać
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wajda
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012769:Shock / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase