Protective effect of pretreatment with low-dose lipopolysaccharide on D-galactosamine-induced acute liver failure.
OBJECTIVE
The effect of low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced nitric oxide (NO) on liver damage and survival in rats with acute liver failure caused by a lethal dose of D-galactosamine (D-gal) was studied.


RESULTS
Ninety percent of control animals died within 4 days after D-gal injection, but pretreatment with low-dose LPS significantly decreased mortality to 5%. There was marked elevation in serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels 24 h after D-gal injection. These aminotransferases were significantly improved in low-dose LPS pretreated rats 24 h after the administration of D-gal. NG-Nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester, but not NG-nitro-D-arginine-methyl ester, reversed this cytoprotection.


CONCLUSIONS
Pretreatment with low-dose LPS prevents experimental liver failure induced by D-gal through activation of endogenous NO synthesis.
Kono
Toru
T
Second Department of Surgery, Asahikawa Medical College, Hokkaido, Japan. kono@asahikawa-med.ac.jp
Kotani
Hiromi
H
Asama
Toshiyuki
T
Mamiya
Noriaki
N
Ohara
Kei
K
Yoneda
Masashi
M
Iwamoto
Jun
J
Kasai
Shinichi
S
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005688:Galactosamine; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D005688:Galactosamine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester