[Effect of L-arginine on the oxygen balance of the liver and its bile secretion function]

In acute experiments on anesthetized rats we showed that L-arginine causes an increase in oxygen-dependent synthetic processes in the liver, particularly associated with mitochondrial polyenzyme systems biosynthesis of bile acids with simultaneous activation in hepatocytes tissue respiration. The level of oxygen tension in the gland is not changed. Implementation of these effects partly involves nitric oxide. In addition, the L-arginine inhibits cholepoiesis without involving to the reaction NO. Dose-dependent influence L-arginine on the bile cholates content may indicate a different effect of this amino acids on metabolic transformation of bile acids such as hydroxylation and conjugation.