Effect of dimethylsulfoxide on hepatic HbNO formation in septic shocked rats

Abstract

It is known that dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) scavenges superoxide. Oxidative stress as well as nitric oxide (NO) have a role on the pathophysiology of septic shock. Since NO and superoxide form peroxynitrite, the goal of the study was to evaluate the effect of DMSO on NO availability in septic shock. Septic shock was produced in male Wistar (230–250 g) rats through lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration (8mg/kg) in the absence or presence of DMSO treatment (1 ul/g, subcutaneous, one hour before LPS). 3.5 h after LPS or isotonic saline solution (control) all the animals received a NO spin trapping. 30 min later animals were sacrificed by anesthesia overdose (pentobarbital) and a liver biopsy was frozen on liquid nitrogen. The adduct hemoglobin‐NO (HbNO) was detected through electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in 100 mg of liver. HbNO increased significantly in the samples of shocked rats. However the higher values of HbNO were found in samples isolated from septic rats treated with DMSO. It is concluded that DMSO increased NO availability in the liver of rats subjected to septic shock. The biological significance of DMSO effect remains to be established