title: Plasma redox status is impaired in the portacaval shunted rat--the risk of the reduced antioxidant ability.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Portacaval shunting in rats produces a reduction of hepatic oxidant scavenging ability. Since this imbalance in hepatic oxidant/antioxidant homeostasis could coexist with systemic changes of oxidant stress/antioxidant status, plasma oxidants and antioxidant redox status in plasma of portacaval shunted-rats were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male Wistar male: Control (n = 11) and with portacaval shunt (PCS; n = 11) were used. Plasma levels of the oxidant serum advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), the antioxidant total thiol (GSH) and total antioxidant status (TAX) were measured. Albumin, ammonia, Aspartate-aminotransferase (AST), Alanine-aminotransferase (ALT), thiostatin and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (alpha1-AGP) were also assayed 4 weeks after the operation. AOPPs were significantly higher (50.51 +/- 17.87 vs. 36.25 +/- 7.21 microM; p = 0.02) and TAX was significantly lower (0.65 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.73 +/- 0.06 mM; p = 0.007) in PCS compared to control rats. Also, there was hypoalbuminemia (2.54 +/- 0.08 vs. 2.89 +/- 0.18 g/dl; p = 0.0001) and hyperammonemia (274.00 +/- 92.25 vs. 104.00 +/- 48.05 microM; p = 0.0001) and an increase of thiostatin (0.23 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.09 +/- 0.01 mg/ml; p = 0.001) in rats with a portacaval shunt. The serum concentration of ammonia is correlated with albumin levels (r = 0.624; p = 0.04) and TAX correlates with liver weight (r = 0.729; p = 0.017) and albumin levels (r = 0.79; p = 0.007)
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that in rats with a portacaval shunt a systemic reduction of oxidant scavenging ability, correlated with hyperammonemia, is principally produced. It could be hypothesized, therefore, that the reduced antioxidant defences would mediate a systemic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Surgery I Department, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. maaller@med.ucm.es
authors.forename: Maria-Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Aller
authors.forename: Maria-Inmaculada
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: García-Fernández
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Patán
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santín
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rioja
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anchuelo
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: Jorge-Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Arias