EFFECTS OF HEPATECTOMY AND ARGININE ENRICHED DIET ON COLONIC MUCOSA ORIGINATED INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES

Background: To assess the effects of arginine-enriched diet and partial hepatectomy in rats on gut-originated inflammatory cytokines.
Methods: Of 24 rats, Group 1 and 2 animals were fasted 24 hours before surgery, Group 3 and 4 animals received regular plus arginine-enriched diet(AED). Group 2 and 4 animals had undergone 30% hepatic resection. Leukotriene B4 (LT B4) levels were detected in colonic mucosa and mucosal perfusates immediately after resection. Mean leukocyte counts (MLC) were detected also in the mucosa. Results: In the basis of fasting situation regardless hepatectomy, all MLC were lower in Group 3 and 4 but LTB4 levels both in mucosa and perfusate were higher. On hepatectomy based comparison there was not any statistically significant difference between groups but mucosal perfusate LTB4 levels. But when hepatectomy added on fasted animals MLC levels were lower than fed by AED + sham operation. LTB4 levels were insignificant in both perfusate and mucosa. When
hepatectomy added on AED animals (Group 4), MLC decrased and mucosal LTB4 increased when they compared with fast without hepatectomy Group 1.
Conclusions: AED prior to extra-intestinal operations may trigger inflammatory cascade and complications via leucocyte degradation and LTB4.