Effects of L-Nitro-Arginine Methyl Ester, an Inhibitor of Nitric Oxide Biosynthesis, on Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rabbits

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings 2010-03, Vol.42 (2), p.457-460
• Main Authors: Taha, M.O, Miranda-Ferreira, R, Fagundes, A.L, Fagundes, D.J, Simões, R.S, Santos, J.M, Souza, P.D.F, Oliveira, I.S, Marchini, A, Gomes, I.T, Monteiro, H.P, Mendonça, L.O, Caricati-Neto, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Electric Stimulation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gastrointestinal Motility - drug effects; Intestinal Diseases - prevention & control; Ischemia - physiopathology; Jejunum - drug effects; Jejunum - innervation; Jejunum - physiology; Male; Medical sciences; Muscle Contraction - drug effects; Muscle Contraction - physiology; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester - pharmacology; Other diseases. Semiology; Rabbits; Reperfusion Injury - physiopathology; Reperfusion Injury - prevention & control; Sodium Chloride - pharmacology; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Tissue, organ and graft immunology
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2010.01.037

Abstract To study whether treatment with L-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide biosynthesis, attenuates intestinal dysfunction caused by ischemia (I) and/or reperfusion (R), rabbits were treated with L-NAME (15 mg · kg−1 , intervenously) or saline olution (SS) prior to I (60 minutes) induced by occlusion of superior mesenteric artery and/or R (120 minutes). After I or I/R, isolated jejunal segments (2 cm) were mounted in an organ bath to study nerve-mediated contractions stimulated by electrical pulses or KCI using a digital recording system. Thin jejunal slices were stained (hematoxylin and eosin) for analysis by optical microscopy. Compared with a sham group, the jejunal contractions were similar in the I/R + L-NAME, but reduced in I + SS, I/R + SS, and I + L-NAME groups. The jejunal enteric nerves were damaged in the I + SS, I/R + SS, and I + L-NAME cohorts, but not among the I/R + L-NAME cohort. These results suggested that L-NAME attenuated intestinal dysfunction caused by R but not by I.