[Relationship between plasma carbon monoxide and blood-brain barrier permeability in cirrhotic rats].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the relationship between plasma levels of carbon monoxide and blood-brain permeability in cirrhotic rats.


METHODS
We measured mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, plasma levels of carbon monoxide and amount of Evans blue in the brain tissue taken as the index of blood-brain permeability in cirrhotic rats (n=10) and controls (n=10).


RESULTS
Cirrhotic rats showed significant increases in plasma carbon monoxide and amount of Evans blue in brain tissue compared with controls [(18.37 +/- 1.79) micromol/L,(18.52 +.- 1.39) ng/mg vs (10.27 +/- 1.21) micromol/L, (15.08 +/- 1.06) ng/mg; P< 0.01]. Carbon monoxide levels in cirrhotic rats correlated positively with blood-brain barrier permeability and inversely with MAP (r=0.72, P< 0.01; r= -0.67, P< 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Carbon monoxide, involving in the occurrence of hypotension and the increase of blood-brain barrier permeability, may play a role in the development of hepatic encephalopathy.
Yang
Shuping
S
Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Wang
Jiyao
J
He
Boming
B
Fang
Guoding
G
Fu
Rong
R
Chen
Xiancheng
X
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000502:physiology*; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000502:physiology*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000097:blood*; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase