Gender differences in hepatic ischemic reperfusion injury in rats are associated with endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase-derived nitric oxide

Figure 2 Serum TNF-α levels (n = 6, mean±SD). No significant differences existed between MS and FS groups with respect to serum TNF-α levels. Serum TNF-α levels increased significantly after hepatic I/R in M or F group vs MS or FS group (^bP<0.01 or ^dP<0.01, respectively), but they were significantly lower in F group vs M group rats (^fP<0.01). When compared with male rats pretreated with saline (M group), pretreatment of male rats with E₂ (M+E₂ group) significantly decreased serum TNF-α levels after hepatic I/R (^hP<0.01). Pretreatment with L-NAME in female rats or co-pretreatment with E₂ and L-NAME in male rats significantly increased serum TNF-α levels vs those in F or M+E₂ group animals, respectively, after hepatic I/R (^jP<0.01 or ^lP<0.01).