Hepatic morphological alterations and cytochrome P450 activities and expression in rats treated with L-NAME

Author(s)

Christiane Aparecida Badin Tarsitano

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia
• Defense date: 2006-08-23

Examining board members

Stephen Hyslop; Edson Rosa Pimentel; Maria Eleonora Feracin da Silva Picoli; Edson Antunes; Soraia Katia Pereira Costa

• Advisor: Stephen Hyslop

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO), a co-product of the metabolism of L-arginine to L-citrulline by NO synthases (NOS), has an important role in regulating vascular tone, inflammatory responses, and the gene expression and enzymatic activity of various proteins, including cytochrome P450 and NOS. The chronic inhibition of NOS by Nffi-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) produces sustained arterial hypertension and morphological alterations that include arterial wall hypertrophy and vascular remodeling. These changes can be prevented by concomitant treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin 11 AT1 receptor antagonists. NO is an important modulator in the hepatic vasculature and of hepatic cell function, and may regulate the activity of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases involved in the biotransformation of endogenous and exogeous substances. In this work, we examined the influence of L-NAME on rat liver morphology, hepatic glycogen, cholesterol and triglyceride content, and the activities and expression of the cytochrome P450 isoforms CYP1A1/2, CYP2B1/2, CYP2C11 and CYP2E1. We also examined the expression of two matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MPP-9) after short-term treament with L-NAME. Male Wistar rats were treated with L-NAME (20 mg/ratlday, administered in the drinking water) for four and eight days (short-term treatment) and two, four and eight weeks (chronic treatment) and the livers were then removed for analysis. Enzymatic induction was produced by treating rats with phenobarbital (to induce CYP2B1/2), ~-naphthoflavone (to induce CYP1A1/2) (80 mg/kg/day each, i.p., 4 d) or pyrazole (200 mg/kg/day, i.p., 2 d) (to induce CYP2E1). Treatment with LNAME significantly elevated the blood pressure and this was reversed by concomitant treatment with enalapril (25 mg/kg/day, p.o., ACE inhibitor) or losartan (30 mg/kg/day, p.o., angiotensin II AT1 receptor antagonist). L-NAME caused vascular hypertrophy in hepatic arteries, with perivascular and interstitial fibrosis involving collagen deposition. There was also a significant increase in the hepatic glycogen content. Ali of these changes were completely reversed by concomitant treatment with enalapril or losartan. L-NAME had no effect on the hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride content, nor did it affect the basal or drug-induced activities and protein expression of the cytochrome P450 isoforms. Short-term treatment with L-NAME enhanced the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in vessel walls and inflammatory cells (mast cells, macrophages). These results show that acute or chronic treatment with L-NAME produces morphological alterations in the hepatic vasculature and increases the hepatic glycogen content without affecting lipid metabolism or the activity or expression of cytochrome P450 isoforms. The lack of effect on cytochrome P450 activities and expression indicates that these enzymes are not significantly influenced by low levels of NO. In contrast, the ability of enalapril and losartan to prevent the morphological alterations and the increase in hepatic glycogen indicates an important role for the renin-antiogensin system in these responses (AU)