Nitric oxide synthase inhibitors reduced lipid peroxidation in N-nitrosodiethylamine-treated rats

Studies were carried out to examine the anti-oxidative activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors including L-N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and spermidine in rats pretreated per os with N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) (0.1 mg/kg b.w.) daily for 30 days. Both L-NAME and/or sapermidine were gavaged to animals in a daily dosage of 10 mg/kg body weight, however, the polyamine was applied for the first 21 days only, and further L-NAME was employed for 3 days (day 22, 23 and 24). Saline treated rats were served as control. The results of this experiment showed that NDEA increased TBARS in the liver and small intestine of rats, and the agent did not have any effect(s) in spleen and kidney, respectively. Pretreatment of animals with spermidine and/or L-NAME significantly (p < 0.05) lowered lipid peroxidation in NDEA-treated rats. The finding described here elucidate that both L-NAME and spermidine play an important anti-oxidative role in NDEA-mediated lipid peroxidation and/or pro-oxidant shift(s) in rats.