[Effect of L-Arginine on intestinal mucosal injury of rats with severe abdominal infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of L-Arginine on intestinal mucosal injury of rats with severe abdominal infection. METHODS: Rats received cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to reproduce sepsis model. A total of 18 Wistar rats were divided into two groups randomly (each n=9): L-Arginine group and model group. Three hundred mg/kg of L-Arginine was injected into the abdomen in rats of L- Arginine group after CLP. Model group received equal volume of normal saline. Blood sample was harvested and the serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were determined at 24 hours after operation in both groups. The histopathological change of intestinal mucosa was observed under light microscope and mucosa damage index was determined. RESULTS: The intestinal mucosal damage was observed both in model group and L- Arginine group after CLP, but the injury was milder in L- Arginine group. There was significant difference in mucosa injury index between L-Arginine group and model group (3.4+/-0.6 vs. 4.1+/-0.5, P<0.05). The serum level of NO [(76.1+/-26.2) micromol/L vs. (87.3+/-16.7) micromol/L, P>0.05] and iNOS [(30.6+/-7.4) U/L vs(44.4+/-6.6) U/L, P<0.01] in L-Arginine group were lower than those in model group. CONCLUSION: L-Arginine could protect against intestinal mucosal injury and depress the serum level of iNOS in severe abdominal infection of rats.