Role of lipopolysaccharide in the development of hepatopulmonary syndrome

AIM: The goal of the present study was to evaluate the possibility about enterogenous endotoxemia in pathogenesis of hepatopulmonary syndrome. METHODS: The rat model of cirrhosis was prepared with compound factors. A small dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was administered intraperitoneally once to aggravate endotoxemia of animal with cirrhosis. The normal rats injected with LPS or injected with LPS combined with glycine (LPS antagonist) were designed as controls. RESULTS: Hepatopulmonary syndrome of rats with cirrhosis had occurred in the end of eighth weeks. Pulmonary pathological changes of cirrhosis rats were exacerbated after administration of a given dose of LPS. Glycine sharply antagonized the biological effect of LPS in vivo and in vitro, inhibited the production of TNF-α by LPS and alleviated various pathological changes of hepatopulmonary syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Enterogenous endotoxemia in cirrhosis rats might be an important mechanism in the development of hepatopulmonary syndrome. Endotoxin and its mediating effect by way of cytokines (TNF-α) may play a role in the pathogenesis of hepatopulmonary syndrome.