title: Adenosine preconditioning attenuates hepatic reperfusion injury in the rat by preventing the down-regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous work has suggested that in the liver, adenosine preconditioning is mediated by nitric oxide. Whether the endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase plays a part in this mechanism has however not yet been investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar rats were used (6 in each group)--Groups: (1) sham, (2) ischemia-reperfusion, (3) adenosine + ischemia-reperfusion, (4) endothelial isoform inhibitor + adenosine + ischemia-reperfusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using immunohistochemistry, this study has revealed a decrease in the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase following hepatic ischemia-reperfusion. This was prevented by adenosine pre-treatment. When an inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase was administered prior to adenosine pre-treatment, pre-conditioning did not occur despite normal expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that adenosine attenuates hepatic injury by preventing the downregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase that occurs during ischemia-reperfusion.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgery, Anaesthetics & Intensive Care, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK. fsinglott@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Serracino-Inglott
authors.forename: Ioannis T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Virlos
authors.forename: Nagy A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Habib
authors.forename: Robin C N
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: Robert T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Mathie
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D007511:Ischemia / Q000201:enzymology; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000201:enzymology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000241:Adenosine