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The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor overactivity in two different experimental rat models of encephalopathy: subacute encephalopathy caused by severe hyperammonemia in portacaval-shunted rats (AI-PCS rats) and acute hepatic encephalopathy caused by complete liver ischemia (LIS rats). The effect of the noncompetitive NMDA-receptor antagonist memantine (intraperitoneal [i.p.] 10-20 mg/kg bw or intravenous [i.v.] 5 mg/kg bw) was studied on the severity of encephalopathy by assessment of clinical grading and electroencephalogram (EEG) spectral analysis, on plasma ammonia concentrations, amino acid concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), intracranial pressure (ICP), and brain water content. Both rat models developed encephalopathy within 3 to 6 hours, associated with increased CSF glutamate and aspartate concentrations and increased ICP and brain water content. Memantine administration in AI-PCS and LIS rats resulted in a significant improvement in clinical grading and less slowing of EEG activity (P < .05), and smaller increases in CSF glutamate (P < .05) concentrations. Moreover, ICP and brain water content were significantly lower in memantine-treated AI-PCS rats than in untreated AI-PCS rats (P < .05). Memantine had no significant effect on ICP and brain water content in LIS rats, and on ammonia concentrations in both models. These results indicate that NMDA-receptor activation might be involved in the pathogenesis of hyperammonemia-induced encephalopathy and of acute hepatic encephalopathy caused by LIS.

Background/aims: The pathogenetic factors contributing to encephalopathy in portacaval shunted rats with hyperammonaemia were studied., Methods: Hyperammonaemia was induced by ammonium-acetate infusions in portacaval shunted rats (2.8 mmol.kg bw-1.h-1; AI-portacaval shunted rats) and in sham-portacaval shunted rats (6.5 mmol.kg bw-1.h-1; AI-NORM rats). Severity of encephalopathy was quantified by clinical grading and EEG spectral analysis. Changes in brain metabolites were assessed by amino acid analysis of brain cortex homogenates, whereas changes in amino acids with neurotransmitter activity were assessed in cerebrospinal fluid; brain water content was measured by subtracting dry from wet brain weights and intracranial pressure was measured by a pressure transducer connected to a cisterna magna cannula., Results: Although similar increased blood and brain ammonia concentrations were obtained in both experimental groups, only AI-portacaval shunted rats developed encephalopathy, associated with a significant increase in intracranial pressure. Other significant differences were: higher concentrations of brain glutamine and aromatic amino acids, higher concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid glutamine, aromatic amino acids, glutamate and aspartate in AI-portacaval shunted rats than in AI-NORM rats., Conclusions: These results indicate that hyperammonaemia alone dose not induce encephalopathy, whereas portal-systemic shunting adds an essential contribution to the pathogenesis of encephalopathy. It is hypothesised that the larger increase in brain glutamine in AI-portacaval shunted rats than in AI-NORM rats is responsible for increased brain concentrations of aromatic amino acids, for cell swelling and for extracellular release of glutamate and aspartate. This might promote encephalopathy. If cell swelling is not restricted, intracranial hypertension will develop.

Background/aims: The effect of L-ornithine (ORN) and L-ornithine-L-aspartate (OA) therapy on "extracerebral" nitrogen metabolism, brain metabolism and neurotransmission has been investigated in portacaval shunted rats with hyperammonemia-induced encephalopathy., Methods: One day before ammonium-acetate infusion, a portacaval shunt was performed in three experimental groups: 1-control rats, 2-ORN-treated rats and 3-OA-treated rats. Ammonium-acetate was given as an intravenous bolus injection (0.4 mmol.kg bw-1) followed by a constant infusion (1.9 mmol.kg bw-1.h-1) so that steady-state blood ammonia concentrations (500-800 microM) were obtained in the course of 5 h. After 1 h, ammonium-acetate infusion, either L-ornithine or L-ornithine-L-aspartate, was infused for the next 4 h (3.0 mmol.kg bw-1.h-1) in the treated groups. The following parameters were measured: clinical grade of encephalopathy, EEG activity (n = 10 - 20/group), amino acids in plasma (n = 10 - 20/group) and brain dialysate (n = 5 - 9/group), and brain metabolites obtained by in vivo cerebral 1H-MRS (n = 4 - 6/group)., Results: ORN and OA treatment resulted in significantly lower blood (34% and 39%) and brain (42% and 22%) ammonia concentrations, significantly higher urea production (39% and 86%) and significantly smaller increases in brain glutamine and lactate concentrations than in controls. These changes were associated with a significantly smaller increase in clinical grade of encephalopathy in ORN- and OA-treated rats, and a significant improvement in EEG activity in ORN-treated rats. OA-treated rats showed a significant increase in aspartate and glutamate concentrations in brain dialysate., Conclusions: The beneficial effects of both treatments on the manifestations of hyperammonemia-induced encephalopathy can be explained by a reduction in blood and brain ammonia concentrations. It is suggested that when OA is administered, the effect of ornithine is partly counteracted by aspartate, inducing high brain extracellular concentrations of the two excitatory amino acids glutamate and aspartate, and perhaps causing overstimulation of NMDA receptors.

The effect of intrasplenic hepatocyte transplantation (HTX) was studied in an experimental model of acute liver failure in rats with chronic liver atrophy. Rats underwent a portacaval shunt operation on Day -14 to induce liver atrophy, and underwent total hepatectomy on Day 0 as a start of acute liver failure. Intrasplenic hepatocyte or sham transplantation was performed on Day -7,-3, or -1 (n = 4 to 6 per group). During the period following hepatectomy, mean arterial blood pressure was maintained above 80 mm Hg and hypoglycaemia was prevented. Severity of hepatic encephalopathy was assessed by clinical grading and EEG spectral analysis, together with determination of blood ammonia and plasma amino acid concentrations, and "survival" time. Histological examination of the spleen and lungs was performed after sacrifice. Intrasplenic hepatocyte transplantation resulted in a significant improvement in clinical grading in all transplanted groups (p < 0.05), whereas a significant improvement in EEG left index was seen only in the group with transplantation on Day -1 (p < 0.05). In contrast to hepatocyte transplantation 1 day before total hepatectomy, rats with hepatocyte transplantation 3 and 7 days before total hepatectomy showed a significant 3- and 2-fold increase in "survival" time compared to sham transplanted controls: HTX at Day -1: 7.5 +/- 0.3 h vs. 5.9 +/- 0.6 h (p > 0.05), HTX at Day -3: 19.7 +/- 3.7 h vs. 6.5 +/- 0.3 h (p < 0.05), and HTX at Day -7: 13.8 +/- 3.2 h vs. 6.3 +/- 0.3 h (p < 0.05). Furthermore, rats with hepatocyte transplantation on Day -3 and -7 showed significantly lower blood ammonia concentrations after total hepatectomy (p < 0.0001). Histological examination of the spleens after sacrifice showed clusters of hepatocytes in the red pulp. Hepatocytes present in the spleen for 3 and 7 days showed bile accumulation and spots of beginning necrosis. The present data show that in a hard model of complete liver failure in portacaval shunted rats, intrasplenic hepatocyte transplantation is able to prolong "survival" time significantly 2- to 3-fold. The relevance of this observation for human application is discussed.

Intracerebral microdialysis was applied to monitor the neocortical extracellular levels of the aromatic amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, the neurotransmitters dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA), and serotonin (5-HT), and the metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) in rats with various forms of experimental hepatic encephalopathy (HE). The extracellular aromatic amino acid levels were clearly increased in acute, subacute, and chronic HE. No changes compared with controls in the neocortical DA release could be detected in the three experimental HE rat models investigated. The NA release showed a significant increase only in the subacute HE group. These data suggest that HE may not be associated with any major reduction of neocortical DA or NA release as previously suggested. In acute and subacute HE, decreased extracellular DOPAC but elevated 5-HIAA concentrations were seen. In chronic HE, elevations of both DOPAC and 5-HIAA were observed. Neocortical 5-HT release did not change in subacute and chronic HE, whereas it decreased in acute HE compared with control values. Significant increase in extracellular concentrations of 5-HIAA and of the 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio in the present study are in agreement with previously reported increases in 5-HT turnover in experimental HE. However, a substantially increased 5-HT turnover in experimental HE does not appear to be related to an increase in neuronal neocortical 5-HT release.

The effects of grapefruit juice (150 ml at -15, -10, -1/4, +5, and +10 hours) and cimetidine (200 mg at the same times) on the stereoselective pharmacokinetics and effects of 20 mg oral racemic nitrendipine were investigated in a placebo-controlled crossover study in nine healthy men. In all subjects the AUC of racemic nitrendipine was increased by grapefruit juice (mean increase 106%; 95% confidence interval 64% to 158%) and cimetidine treatment (+154%; 95% confidence interval 77% to 265%). Comparable results were obtained for the peak plasma drug concentration and for both parameters of (S)- and (R)-nitrendipine. There were highly significant differences in the area under the concentration-time curve and peak plasma drug concentration between enantiomers within all treatments. Grapefruit juice had no effect on this stereoselectivity, but cimetidine increased the mean S/R ratio of areas under the curve (2.25) by 20% (95% confidence interval 12% to 29%) compared with placebo treatment (1.89). Half-lives and time to reach peak concentration of the enantiomers were not different within and between treatments. There were no consistent effects on blood pressure with all treatments, but in most subjects there was a small temporary increase in heart rate after intake of nitrendipine. Grapefruit juice and cimetidine did not affect these hemodynamic parameters and did not cause additional adverse effects.