L-arginine infusion after ischaemia-reperfusion of rat kidney enhances lipid peroxidation

To assess the role of superoxide (O-2(.-)) and nitric oxide (NO) in ischaemic-reperfusion-induced acute renal failure, we investigated whether an activation of the L-arginine-NO pathway contributes to ischaemia-reperfusion-induced kidney membrane peroxidation by measurement of 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) content in anaesthetized rats submitted to acute renal ischaemia. Following ischaemia-reperfusion injury, renal blood flow (RBF) was significantly reduced, while renal vascular resistance was significantly increased. Infusion of neither L-arginine nor D-arginine led to a recovery of RBF. L-Arginine, but not D-arginine, caused a significant increase in HNE accumulation in the ischaemic kidney. L-Arginine infusion enhanced the degree of lipid peroxidation afforded by ischaemia-reperfusion injury in the kidney suggesting that products of the endogenous L-arginine-NO pathway may react with O-2(.-) to initiate lipid peroxidation.