Protective effect of a lipoxygenase inhibitor, nordihydroguaretic acid, onthe ileal motor disturbances induced by Serratia marcescens endotoxin in rats

This study was conducted to examine the effects of peptidoleukotrienes on t he ileal contractility disturbances induced by Serratia marcescens endotoxi n in rats. Thirty-two male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 8 each). The first group was given only an anesthetic agent (control group); the second group was given the endotoxin (endotoxin group); the third grou p was given a lipoxygenase inhibitor, nordihydro-guaretic acid (NDGA); and the fourth group was given NDGA 10 min before administration of the endotox in (NDGA + endotoxin group). The isolated ileum response was recorded in ea ch group. Normal contractile activity was seen in the control group. After the endotoxin was given, the isolated ileum did not respond to 497 acetylch oline (ACh) in the endotoxin group, but the contractile results of isolated ileum to ACh were similar to the control group results in both the NDGA an d endotoxin + NDGA groups. The results of this study demostrate that leukot rienes may play a low in endotoxin-induced ileal contractility disturbances , and that the lipoxygenase inhibitor, NDGA, could be useful for the treatm ent of ileal motility disturbances induced by endotoxin.