title: Urethane suppresses rat lung inducible cyclooxygenase and nitric oxide synthase mRNA levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of urethane, pentobarbital sodium and ketamine-xylazine anesthesia upon constitutive and inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-1; COX-2) and nitric oxide synthase (eNOS; iNOS) mRNA levels in the lung.
  
  
  METHODS
  mRNA levels were determined by the semiquantitative RT-PCR technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urethane (1.1 g/kg ip), Pentobarbital Sodium (40 mg/kg ip), and ketamine (85 mg/kg) - xylazine (15 mg/kg, im). Non-anesthetized animals served as controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley rat lungs
  
  
  RESULTS
  Urethane significantly decreased COX-1 and COX-2 mRNA levels to 30% of control values. This agent had no effect upon eNOS, but completely suppressed iNOS mRNA levels. Pentobarbital sodium and ketamine had no effect on the mRNA levels for COX-1 and COX-2 the lung.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urethane has a suppressive effect on COX and iNOS RNA message in the lung and for this reason it should be avoided as an anesthetic when lung inflammatory processes are experimentally evaluated in the rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harabor
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Amankwah
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Belik
mesh_terms: D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000494:pharmacology; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014520:Urethane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014991:Xylazine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014991:Xylazine; D014520:Urethane; D012313:RNA; D007649:Ketamine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; C496316:Nos3 protein, rat; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; C496513:Ptgs1 protein, rat; D010424:Pentobarbital