a1-Acid glycoprotein reduces local and remote injuries after intestinal ischemia in the rat

Williams, Julian P., Martin R. Weiser, Taine T. V. Pechet, Les Kobzik, Francis D. Moore, Jr., and Herbert B. Hechtman. a1-Acid glycoprotein reduces local and remote injuries after intestinal ischemia in the rat. Am. J. Physiol. 273 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 36): G1031–G1035, 1997.— The aim of this study was to look at the role of a1-acid glycoprotein as a natural anti-inflammatory agent with particular respect to its antineutrophil and anticomplement activity. A recombinantly engineered form of sialyl Lewisx (sLex)-bearing a1-acid glycoprotein (sAGP) was administered intravenously to pentobarbital-anesthetized rats after 50 min of intestinal ischemia just before 4 h of reperfusion. A non-sLex-bearing form of AGP (nsAGP) was used as control. sAGP-treated animals had a 62% reduction (P , 0.05) in remote lung injury, assessed by 125I-albumin permeability, compared with those treated with nsAGP (permeability index of 3.61 6 0.15 3 1023 and 5.18 6 0.67 3 1023, respectively). There was a reduction in pulmonary myeloperoxidase levels in sAGP-treated rats compared with nsAGP-treated rats. Complement-dependent intestinal injury, assessed by 125Ialbumin permeability was reduced by 28% (P , 0.05) in animals treated with sAGP (7.58 6 0.63) compared with those treated with nsAGP (10.4 6 0.54). We conclude that sAGP ameliorates both complementand neutrophil-mediated injuries.