Endotoxin clearance and its relation to hepatic and renal disturbances in rats with liver cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
Little is known about endotoxin clearance and secretion of cytokines from macrophages in liver cirrhosis. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship of endotoxin clearance and release of tumor necrosis factor alpha by various macrophages to hepatic and renal disturbances in liver cirrhosis.


METHODS
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given 0.04% thioacetamide orally for 6 or 12 months. The organ distribution of infused [3H]-endotoxin (10 microg/kg b.w.) was analyzed at 30 min or at 24 h. Uptake of [3H]-endotoxin and secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha by Kupffer cells, splenic macrophages and peripheral blood monocytes (1 x 10(4) cells/ml) from cirrhotic and control rats were determined.


RESULTS
In cirrhotic rats, more endotoxin was left in the body and more endotoxin accumulated in the spleen and kidney, and thus was related to elevation of serum total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Endotoxin uptake and tumor necrosis factor alpha release by the Kupffer cells were decreased and those by the splenic macrophages and peripheral blood monocytes were increased in cirrhotic rats.


CONCLUSIONS
In liver cirrhosis, impaired clearance of endotoxin together with increased secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha by extrahepatic macrophages may play an important role in the progression of hepatic and renal disturbances.
Nakatani
Y
Y
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan. ynktn@nn.iij4u.or.jp
Fukui
H
H
Kitano
H
H
Nagamoto
I
I
Tsujimoto
T
T
Kuriyama
S
S
Kikuchi
E
E
Hoppou
K
K
Tsujii
T
T
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012475:Salmonella; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013853:Thioacetamide / Q000633:toxicity; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D004731:Endotoxins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013853:Thioacetamide