title: Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis does not reduce infarct volume in a rat model of focal cerebral ischaemia.
abstract: The effect of the nitric oxide (NO) synthesis inhibitor Ng-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) on ischaemic brain damage was determined in a rat model of focal cerebral ischaemia. Ischaemia was induced by permanent occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) and infarction assessed 4 h post-occlusion by quantitative histopathology. L-NAME (30 mg/kg s.c.), administered 30 min pre- and 30 min post-MCA occlusion, did not significantly alter the volume of ischaemic damage in the cerebral hemisphere, neocortex or caudate nucleus compared with saline controls. This result provides no support for the view that NO generation is a key component in the post-ischaemic cascade leading to acute neuronal death.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kusumoto
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCulloch
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Macrae
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester