Biological activation of NG-nitro-D-arginine by kidney homogenate

N^G-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) and D-NNA have been shown to inhibit endothelium-dependent relaxation. This study examined if the inhibitory effect of L-NNA or D-NNA on relaxation is increased following incubation of the drug with the supernatant of tissue homogenates. Acetylcholine (ACh) caused concentration-dependent relaxation of pre-constricted rat aortic rings with maximum relaxation of 95%. Maximum relaxations to ACh were reduced to 71 and 37% in the presence of D-NNA (40 μM) and L-NNA (1 μM), respectively. Relaxation to ACh was further reduced to 18% in the presence of D-NNA that was incubated for 1 h with the supernatant of kidney homogenate, but unaffected by D-NNA incubated with the supernatant of trichloroacetic acid-denatured kidney homogenate. Incubation of L-NNA (1 μM) with either kidney supernatant or denatured kidney supernatant for 1 h did not affect its inhibitory effect on ACh-induced relaxation. Neither 1 h’s incubation with plasma, or supernatants of liver, lungs or aorta homogenates affected the inhibitory action of D-NNA (40 or 120 μM) on ACh-induced relaxation. After D-NNA was incubated in kidney supernatant, its inhibitory effect on ACh-induced relaxation of the aorta was abolished by pretreatment of the aorta with L-arginine (L-Arg) but not D-Arg suggesting involvement of the L-Arg pathway. The results suggest that D-NNA is converted by the kidney to a compound that acts similar to L-NNA. There appears to be little conversion of L-NNA to D-NNA. Received: 21 April 1997 / Accepted: 20 June 1997     

D-硝基精氨酸对小鼠肾损伤及氧化应激作用

目的研究D-硝基精氨酸(D-NNA)对小鼠的肾损伤及其氧化应激机制。方法 ICR小鼠ig给予D-NNA150,50和15 mg·kg-1,连续30 d。测定并计算肾系数;血液生化分析仪检测血清中肌酐(Crea)和尿素氮(BUN);分光光度法测定肾组织一氧化氮(NO),硫代巴比妥酸法测丙二醛(MDA)含量,比色法测定谷胱甘肽过氧化酶(GSH-Px)和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性;观察肾病理组织学变化。结果与5%葡萄糖对照组相比,D-NNA 150,50和15 mg·kg-1组血清中BUN分别明显升高了83.6%,36.2%和27.4%(P<0.05),D-NNA150和50 mg·kg-1组血清中Crea分别明显升高了281.6%和10.6%(P<0.05);D-NNA150 mg·kg-1组肾系数和NO水平分别明显降低了5.6%和25.5%(P<0.05);D-NNA150和50 mg·kg-1组肾组织中MDA水平分别明显升高了69.0%和36.9%(P<0.01),SOD活性和GSH-Px活性分别明显下降了17.4%和17.7%,7.3%和13.7%(P<0.05);D-NNA150 mg·kg-1组病理检查可见肾小管损伤,嗜碱性变,萎缩或囊性扩张和间质炎性浸润,D-NNA50和15 mg·kg-1组出现炎症细胞浸润。结论 D-NNA对小鼠肾有一定的损伤作用,其作用机制可能与D-NNA的手性转化产物L-NNA导致NO合成减少,产生ROS有关。