title: Effects of L-arginine and L-NAME on ischemia-reperfusion in rat liver.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluated the effects of L-arginine (a NO donor) and L-NAME (Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester - a NOS inhibitor) on ischemia-reperfusion in rat livers.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred fifty two male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control (simulated surgery); hepatic IR; pretreatment with L-arginine plus hepatic IR; and L-NAME plus hepatic IR. The hepatocellular damage was evaluated at the first, third and seventh days after the procedures through the alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate-aminotransaminase (AST) levels, as well as histopathological features: vascular congestion (VC); steatosis (STE); necrosis (NEC); and inflammatory infiltration (INF). The mortality rate was also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pretreatment with L-NAME significantly worsened the AST levels after hepatic IR (p<0.05) at first day and L-arginine demonstrated an attenuating effect on ALT levels at seventh day (p<0.05). Furthermore, the administration of L-arginine was able to reduce the VC and STE in the seventh day after hepatic IR (p<0.05). The analysis of the mortality rates did not demonstrate any difference between the groups. Nevertheless, there was not effect of L-arginine and L-NAME on the mortality of the animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  L-arginine/NO pathway has a role in the hepatic IR because the pretreatment with L-arginine partially had attenuated the hepatocellular damage induced by hepatic IR in rats.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Márcio Luís
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cláudia Ramos
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rhoden
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ernani Luís
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Rhoden
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cláudio Galeano
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Zettler
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angelo Alves de
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mattos
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009336:Necrosis; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012016:Reference Values; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester