Abstract

The role of nitric oxide (NO) on liver oxidative stress and tissue injury in rats subjected to tourniquet shock was investigated. This shock model differs from others in that injury is a consequence of remote organ damage. Liver oxidative stress becomes evident after hind limb reperfusion, as evidenced by the loss of total tissue thiols; by increases in tissue oxidized glutathione (GSSG), lipid peroxidation (LPO), plasma aminotransferases (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and (aspartate aminotransferase (AST)), and plasma nitrites; and by a 36% loss in total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Portal blood flow is reduced by 54.1% after 2 h of hind limb reperfusion. Inhibition of NO synthesis with N ?-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester or L-arginine methyl ester increased mean arterial blood pressure; further reduced portal blood flow; and aggravated liver injury as assessed by further loss in total thiols, increased LPO and GSSG content, and further increases in plasma ALT and AST. Total plasma nitrites were lower than in control animals, and total tissue SOD activity decreased by more than 80%. Treatment with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside reverted the decrease in portal blood flow and also reverted tissue thiol loss, LPO, and GSSG increases, as well as the loss of ALT and AST to plasma and of SOD activity to levels comparable to untreated control shock animals. As expected, plasma nitrites were greater than in tourniquet control animals. These data support the hypothesis that endogenous NO formation protects the rat liver from the consequences of oxidative stress elicited by hind limb reperfusion in rats subjected to tourniquet shock.