title: L-arginine attenuates acute lung injury after smoke inhalation and burn injury in sheep.
abstract: Thermal injury results in reduced plasma levels of arginine (Arg). With reduced Arg availability, NOS produces superoxide instead of NO. We hypothesized that Arg supplementation after burn and smoke inhalation (B + S) injury would attenuate the acute insult to the lungs and, thus, protect pulmonary function. Seventeen Suffolk ewes (n = 17) were randomly divided into three groups: (1) sham injury group (n = 6), (2) B + S injury plus saline treatment (n = 6), and (3) B + S injury plus L-ARG infusion at 57 mg.kg(-1).h(-1) (n = 5). Burn and smoke inhalation injury was induced by standardized procedures, including a 40% area full thickness flame burn combined with 48 breaths of smoke from burning cottons. All animals were immediately resuscitated by Ringer solution and supported by mechanical ventilation for 48 h, during which various variables of pulmonary function were monitored. The results demonstrated that Arg treatment attenuated the decline of plasma Arg concentration after B + S injury. A higher plasma Arg concentration was associated with a less decline in Pao2/Fio2 ratio and a reduced extent of airway obstruction after B + S injury. Histopathological examinations also indicated a remarkably reduced histopathological scores associated with B + S injury. Nitrotyrosine stain in lung tissue was positive after B + S injury, but was significantly reduced in the group with Arg. Therefore, L-Arg supplementation improved gas exchange and pulmonary function in ovine after B + S injury via its, at least in part, effect on reduction of oxidative stress through the peroxynitrite pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, TX 77555-0833, USA.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Perenlei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Enkhbaatar
authors.forename: Yong-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Lillian D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Traber
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Hal K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Ronald G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Tompkins
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Herndon
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Traber
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002056:Burns / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects*; D055370:Lung Injury; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood; D011897:Random Allocation; D012756:Sheep; D015208:Smoke Inhalation Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D014554:Urination / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; C002744:3-nitrotyrosine; D014443:Tyrosine; D001120:Arginine