title: Protective effect of NG-nitro-L-arginine (N5-[imino(nitroamino)methyl]-L-ornithine) against cyanide-induced convulsions in mice.
abstract: The effects of NG-nitro-L-arginine (NNA; an inhibitor of the oxidative L-arginine pathway) on convulsions induced by cyanide were investigated in mice. NNA prevented cyanide-induced convulsions in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect against convulsions induced by cyanide with NNA was abolished by pretreatment of L-arginine. However, NNA did not change blood cyanide levels in mice 5 min after injection of potassium cyanide. Since NNA prevents against oxidative L-arginine pathway-dependent guanylate cyclase activation in intact cells, it was suggested that the protection against cyanide-induced convulsions with NNA may be due to the inhibition of guanylate cyclase. In support, methylene blue, an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, elicited a similar inhibition against convulsions induced by cyanide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D019335:Nitroarginine; D011190:Potassium Cyanide / Q000633:toxicity*; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D019335:Nitroarginine; D001120:Arginine; D011190:Potassium Cyanide; D008751:Methylene Blue