| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001220 | Nitric Oxide | 2011 | 8 Pages |
Liver disturbances stimulate inflammatory reaction in the brain but little is known if injury to the brain can significantly influence liver metabolism. This problem is crucial in modern transplantology, as the condition of the donor brain seems to strongly affect the quality (viability) of the graft, which is often obtained from brain-dead donors, usually after traumatic brain injury. Because nitric oxide is one of the significant molecules in brain and liver biology, we examined if brain injury can affect NO level in the liver. Liver samples of Wistar rats were collected and studied with EPR NO-metry to detect NO level changes at different time points after brain injury. Shortly after the trauma, NO level in the liver was similar to the control. However, later there was a significant increase in the NO content in the livers starting from the 2nd day after brain injury and lasting up to the 7th day. It seems that the response to a mechanical brain injury is of the systemic, rather than local character. Therefore brain metabolism disturbances can influence liver metabolism at least by stimulating the organ to produce NO.
► Mechanical brain injury stimulates NO production in the liver. ► Two distinct phases of NO synthesis in the liver can be observed. ► NO concentration in liver raises significantly after 2nd day after brain damage. ► NO level in peripheral blood increases shortly following brain injury. ► Probably systemic, not local character of the response to a mechanical brain injury.
