Urethane suppresses rat lung inducible cyclooxygenase and nitric oxide synthase mRNA levels.
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.
Martinez
F E
FE
Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Harabor
A
A
Amankwah
E K
EK
Hart
D A
DA
Belik
J
J
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
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