title: Combination treatment of parenteral arginine and nitric oxide inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester in rats with peritonitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has been shown that parenteral arginine may facilitate ureagenesis and improve leukocytic and splenocytic immunity and that the infusion of nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) may facilitate the production of arginine-associated amino acids in rats with subacute peritonitis. Herein, we investigated the effects of the combined treatment of parenteral arginine and L-NAME on arginine metabolism and inflammatory response.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Wistar rats underwent cecal puncture for induction of subacute peritonitis and were infused with conventional parenteral nutrition (arginine 0.95 g/kg/d) or parenteral nutrition supplemented with arginine (1.88 g/kg/d), L-NAME (25 mg/kg/d), or arginine plus L-NAME. Sham-operated and nonperitonitic rats with oral feeding (R group) or conventional parenteral nutrition (TPN group) were also included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 7 d of parenteral feeding, the L-NAME treatment significantly attenuated the peritonitis-induced reduction in body weight gain (1-way ANOVA, P < 0.05) and had a significant impact on decreasing body water percentage and on increasing body fat percentage and serum insulin concentrations (2-way ANOVA, P < 0.05). Parenteral arginine had a significant impact on increasing plasma arginine and ornithine and on decreasing serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and plasma nitrite/nitrate in peritonitic rats. In addition, plasma interleukin-6 was significantly decreased by arginine and/or L-NAME treatment, and plasma prostaglandin E2 was significantly decreased by arginine plus L-NAME treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the combination treatment of parenteral arginine and L-NAME may improve liver function and alleviate inflammatory response in rats with subacute peritonitis; however, it seems that parenteral arginine treatment is more beneficial than L-NAME.
authors: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.
authors: Chien-Hsing
authors: CH
authors: Lee
authors: Chien-Chou
authors: CC
authors: Hsiao
authors: Ching-Yi
authors: CY
authors: Hung
authors: Hui-Chen
authors: HC
authors: Lo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester