Relationships between NOS2 and HO-1 in liver of rats with chronic bile duct ligation.

An increased expression and activity of the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the liver has been observed in models of hepatic damage. Nitric oxide (NO) seems to be involved in HO-1 regulation. The aim of this work is to assess HO-1 induction and heme oxygenase (HO) activity in rats with bile duct ligation (BDL). We have assessed the effect of chronic inhibition of the NO synthesis by N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) on HO-1 induction and HO activity. In the BDL animals, compared with sham-operated ones, we found an increased plasma nitrite and bilirubin concentration, and a marked liver expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and HO-1, assessed by both Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Chronic l-NAME treatment prevented plasma nitrite increase in animals subjected to BDL. BDL animals treated with l-NAME, compared with untreated BDL rats, showed an important decrease in HO-1 expression and in HO activity (assessed as a decreased plasma bilirubin and bilirubin excretion). In conclusion, our experiments show parallel changes in expression and activity of HO-1 and NOS2 activity in the BDL model of liver damage and suggest that increased NO production is involved in HO-1 overexpression.

Sequential changes in redox status and nitric oxide synthases expression in the liver after bile duct ligation.

Bile duct ligation (BDL) in rats induces portal fibrosis. This process has been linked to changes in the oxidative state of the hepatic cells and in the production of nitric oxide. Our objective was to find possible temporal connections between hepatic redox state, NO synthesis and liver injury. In this work we have characterized hepatic lesions 17 and 31 days after BDL and determined changes in hepatic function, oxidative state, and NO production. We have also analyzed the expression and localization of inducible NO synthase (NOS2) and constitutive NO synthase (NOS3). After 17 and 31 days from ligature, lipid peroxidation is increased and both plasma concentration and biliary excretion of nitrite+nitrate are rised. 17 days after BDL both NOS2 and NOS3 are expressed intensely and in the same regions. 31 days after BDL, the expression of NOS2 remains elevated and is localized mostly in preserved hepatocytes in portal areas and in neighborhoods of centrolobulillar vein. NOS3 is localized in vascular regions of portal spaces and centrolobulillar veins and in preserved sinusoids and although its expression is greater than in control animals (34%), it is clearly lower (50%) than 17 days after BDL. The time after BDL is crucial in the study of NO production, intrahepatic localization of NOS isoforms expression, and cell type involved, since all these parameters change with time. BDL-induced, peroxidation and fibrosis are not ligated by a cause-effect relationship, but rather they both seem to be the consequence of common inductors.