Reactive
oxygen metabolites play an important role in
ischemia-reperfusion related gastric injury. Primary sources of reactive
oxygen metabolites seem to be the
xanthine/
xanthine oxidase system and neutrophils accumulating within the reperfused tissue. Tissue
myeloperoxidase activity is an important index of neutrophil accumulation. The purpose of the present study was to clarify the effect of
L-carnitine on the accumulation of neutrophils and neutrophil-induced gastric mucosal damage in rats exposed to
ischemia-reperfusion. Rats were randomly divided into three groups:
sham-operated,
ischemia-reperfusion and
ischemia-reperfusion plus
L-carnitine groups.
Ischemia was induced by clamping the celiac artery for 30 min and then reperfusion was established for 60 min. Gastric injury was assessed by measuring
myeloperoxidase activity in gastric tissue. The neutrophil accumulation and hemorrhagic lesions due to
ischemia-reperfusion in gastric mucosa were ascertained in a histological study.
L-Carnitine (100 mg kg(-1)) administrated intravenously 5 min before
ischemia significantly reduced both the gastric injury and
myeloperoxidase activity compared with the
ischemia-reperfusion group. The results suggest that
L-carnitine provides marked protection against
ischemia-reperfusion-related gastric injury which could be due to its ability to reduce neutrophil accumulation in ischemic tissue.