Time course of nitric oxide production after endotoxin challenge in mice.

Nitric oxide (NO) regulates numerous processes during endotoxemia and inflammation. However, the sequential changes in whole body (Wb) nitric oxide (NO) production during endotoxemia in vivo remain to be clarified. Male Swiss mice were injected intraperitoneally with saline (control group) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS group). After 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h, animals received a primed constant infusion of L-[guanidino-(15)N(2)-(2)H(2)]arginine, L-[ureido-(15)N]citrulline, L-[5-(15)N]glutamine, and L-[ring-(2)H(5)]phenylalanine in the jugular vein. Arterial blood was collected for plasma arginine (Arg), citrulline (Cit), glutamine (Gln), and phenylalanine (Phe) concentrations and tracer-to-tracee ratios. NO production was calculated as plasma Arg-to-Cit flux, Wb de novo Arg synthesis as plasma Cit-to-Arg flux, and Wb protein breakdown as plasma Phe flux. LPS reduced plasma Arg and Cit and increased Gln and Phe concentrations. Two peaks of NO production were observed at 4 and 12 h after LPS. Although LPS did not affect total Arg production, de novo Arg production decreased after 12 h. The second peak of NO production coincided with increased Wb Cit, Gln, and Phe production. In conclusion, the curve of NO production in both early and late phases of endotoxemia is not related to plasma Arg kinetics. However, because Wb Cit, Gln, and Phe fluxes increased concomitantly with the second peak of NO production, NO production is probably related to the catabolic phase of endotoxemia

Measuring whole-body actin/myosin protein breakdown in mice using a primed constant stable isotope-infusion protocol

To measure actin/myosin protein breakdown, the 24 h excretion of N (tau)-methylhistidine (3MH) is used. However, in mice, this method is invalid. Therefore we have developed a liquid chromatography-MS technique to measure the tracer/tracee ratio and concentration of 3MH in plasma, enabling an in vivo primed constant infusion protocol with a deuterated stable isotope of 3MH. We tested this model by giving a primed constant infusion of L-[3-methyl-(2)H(3)]histidine, L-[phenyl-(2)H(5)]phenylalanine and L-[phenyl-(2)H(2)]tyrosine to three anaesthetized experimental groups: mice receiving saline intraperitoneally (i.p.) (CON), mice receiving saline i.p. and starved for 9 h (STA), and mice receiving lipopolysaccharide i.p. and starved for 9 h (STA+LPS). The contribution of myofibrillar to total protein breakdown was significantly lower in the STA group than the CON group (30+/-4% and 54+/-14% respectively; P <0.05), and was significantly higher in the STA+LPS group than the STA group (52+/-7% and 30+/-4% respectively; P <0.05). Whole-body myofibrillar protein breakdown, total protein breakdown, protein synthesis and net protein breakdown were not different between the groups. We conclude that this in vivo primed constant stable isotope-infusion protocol can give valuable information about the role of actin/myosin protein breakdown in mice