Low arginine plasma levels do not aggravate renal blood flow after experimental renal ischaemia/reperfusion.
BACKGROUND
Ischaemic renal dysfunction is present in many clinical settings, including cardiovascular surgery. Renal hypoperfusion seems to be the most important pathophysiologic mechanism. Arginine plasma levels are rate limiting for NO synthesis, and low arginine plasma levels are seen after major vascular surgery.


OBJECTIVE
to establish the effects of low arginine plasma levels on renal blood flow after renal ischaemia/reperfusion.


METHODS
Wistar rats were used in this unilateral renal ischaemia/reperfusion model. After 70 min of ischaemia, the kidney was reperfused for 150 min. Arginase infusion was used to lower arginine plasma levels. Blood flow measurement was performed at the end of the experiment using radiolabelled microspheres. Additional experiments were performed for histopathology.


RESULTS
Arginase efficiently decreased arginine plasma levels to about 50% of normal. There was a lower blood flow in the ischaemic kidney than the contralateral (non-ischaemic) kidney. Lowering arginine plasma levels did not reduce renal blood flow in the ischaemic kidney. Renal histopathology was not influenced by lowered arginine plasma levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Lowering arginine plasma levels did not affect blood flow or histology following renal ischaemia and reperfusion.
Nijveldt
R J
RJ
Department of Surgery, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Prins
H A
HA
van Kemenade
F J
FJ
Teerlink
T
T
van Lambalgen
A A
AA
Boelens
P G
PG
Rauwerda
J A
JA
van Leeuwen
P A
PA
D000818:Animals; D001119:Arginase / Q000494:pharmacology; D001120:Arginine / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D007511:Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012079:Renal Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D015424:Reperfusion / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D001120:Arginine; D001119:Arginase