Alterations of intraperitoneal inflammation by the addition of L-2-oxothiazolidine-carboxylate.

The authors studied the effect of L-2-oxothiazolidine-carboxylate (OTZ), a substrate for intracellular glutathione synthesis, in an in vivo model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced peritonitis in rats. The addition of LPS to dialysis fluid increased the white blood cell (WBC) count and the nitrite (index of NO synthesis) level in the dialysate. The simultaneous addition of OTZ to the dialysis fluid prevented an increase of WBCs but not of nitrites in the dialysate. Intraperitoneal inflammation was accompanied by a decrease in net transperitoneal ultrafiltration, an increase in the absorption of glucose, and a loss of protein into the dialysate. OTZ partially reversed the effect of peritonitis on net ultrafiltration. Peritoneal leukocytes from rats exposed to LPS showed a reduced concentration of glutathione, an effect that was reversed in the presence of OTZ. These results show that the supplementation of dialysis fluid with OTZ modified the peritoneal reaction to acute inflammation.