Dietary Arginine Enhances Adhesion Molecule and T Helper 2 Cytokine Expression in Mice With Gut-Derived Sepsis

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of arginine (Arg) on cellular adhesion molecules and intracellular Th1/Th2 cytokine expressions in mice with polymicrobial sepsis. Myeloperoxidase activity in organs was also analyzed to identify the extent of tissue injury resulting from neutrophil infiltration. Mice were randomly assigned to a normal group (NC), a control group, or an Arg group. The NC group was fed a standard chow diet. The control group was fed a common semipurified diet, and in the Arg group, part of the casein was replaced by Arg, which provided 2% of the total calories. After 3 weeks, sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in the control and Arg groups. Mice in the experimental groups were sacrificed at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h after CLP, whereas mice in the NC group were sacrificed when the CLP was performed. Blood and organ samples were immediately collected for further analysis. Results showed that compared with the control group, plasma intracellular adhesion molecule-1 levels were significantly higher in the Arg group 12 and 24 h after CLP. Lymphocyte interferon-gamma expression in the Arg groups was significantly lower, whereas interleukin (IL)-4 expression was higher than the control group at various time points after CLP. The expression of lymphocyte CD11a/CD18 was significantly higher in the Arg group 6, 12, and 24 h after CLP than those of the corresponding control group and the NC group. PMN expressions of CD11b/CD18 in the Arg groups were higher than those in the control group at 12 and 24 h after CLP. The Arg group had higher IL-6 levels at 6 and 12 h in the kidney and intestine and 12 h in the lung after CLP. Higher myeloperoxidase activities were observed in the Arg groups at 24 h after CLP than those in the control group in various organs. These findings suggest that pretreatment with an Arg-supplemented diet enhances adhesion molecule and inflammatory cytokine expression during sepsis, which may aggravate the inflammatory reaction and increase neutrophil infiltration into tissues. In addition, Arg supplementation reduced intracellular interferon-gamma and enhanced IL-4 expression. This change may promote the Th2-type response and suppress the cellular immune response in gut-derived sepsis.

Creatine Supplementation Exacerbates Allergic Lung Inflammation and Airway Remodeling in Mice

“…On the other hand, it has also been suggested that arginine supplementation has no beneficial effects on infection complications and may even increase mortality in critically ill patients (49). Yeh and colleagues have recently described that pretreatment with an arginine-supplemented diet resulted in more pronounced Th2 cytokine production in an experimental model of sepsis in mice (50). In this study, the authors observed that arginine supplementation resulted in increased circulating ICAM-1 levels, and increased IL-6 and neutrophil myeloperoxidase activities in various organs, and suggested that the use of arginine in a critical condition should be carefully evaluated.…”

Exogenous arginine in sepsis

“…Arginine may also affect the immune response in sepsis (120,121) with an aggravated inflammatory reaction and increased tissue neutrophil infiltration (121). In addition, restored intestinal motility was observed with arginine supplementation in a pig model of sepsis (96).…”

Differential effects of isoflurane and CO2 inhalation on plasma levels of inflammatory markers associated with collagen-induced arthritis in DBA mice

“…In fact, plasma IL-6 and TNF-α ranged from 41% and 49% lower in mice sacrificed by isoflurane inhalation as compared with those receiving CO 2 in contrast to plasma sICAM-1. Plasma concentration sICAM-1 in normal mice ranged between 302 and 596 ng/ml [15]. In our study, the sICAM1 levels varied from 367 ng/ml to 1628 ng/ml.…”