[NO2-/NO3- levels in blood and principal organs in rats treated with lipopolysaccharide].

It is well revealed that activation of macrophages stimulated by endotoxin resulted in induction of nitric oxide synthase which catalyze nitric oxide (NO) formation from L-arginine. Consequently, blood concentrations of NO2-/NO3- (NOx-) are shown to increase. We studied on pharmaco/toxicokinetics of NOx- in serum and principal organs in Wistar male rats after i.p. administrations of LPS and NaNO3. The serum levels of NOx- at 1 h and 6 h after nitrate administration (10 mg/kg, i.p.) were 240 and 120 microM, respectively. Tissue levels of NOx- in lung, liver and kidneys were ca.1/2 of the serum level. Those levels in spleen and brain were ca.1/4 and 1/10 of the serum level, respectively. The correlation of NOx- levels in serum and these 5 organ tissues between 1 h and 6 h after administration of nitrate was r = 0.992 suggesting no specific accumulation of NOx- in these organs. The serum level of NOx- at 18 h after LPS treatment (1 mg/kg, i.p.) was 430 microM. The correlation of NOx- levels in serum and 5 organ tissues between LPS and nitrate administrations was shown to be r = 0.851. NOx- levels of serum, lung, kidneys and brain showed good correlation but liver and spleen showed out of the correlation. The liver tissue level of NOx- after LPS treatment was low compared with the expected value from the serum level. The reason may be explained partially by the liver weight increase and the liver toxicity with increased GPT and gamma-GT levels due to LPS. Contrary to this, NOx- level of spleen tissue after LPS treatment was more than 2-fold compared with the expected value from the serum level suggesting NO formation in the spleen. This was supported by the markedly high concentration (73.2 nmol/g tissue) of NO2- in the spleen tissue. NO2- levels in lung (34.5 nmol/g tissue) and brain (14.3) were also found to be significantly high after stimulation with LPS suggesting NO formation in these organs. Increased formation of NO2- in these organs by LPS stimulation suggests the formation of active nitrogen oxides such as N2O3 which is an effective nitrosating agent in non-acidic conditions in vivo.