title: Effects of NG-substituted analogues of L-arginine on NANC relaxation of the rat anococcygeus and bovine retractor penis muscles and the bovine penile artery.
abstract: 1. The effects of two inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase, NG-monomethyl L-arginine (L-NMMA) and NG-nitro L-arginine (L-NOARG), were examined on non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory transmission in the rat anococcygeus, bovine retractor penis (BRP) and bovine penile artery. 2. In the rat anococcygeus, L-NMMA (10-1000 microM) produced a concentration-dependent augmentation of guanethidine (30 microM)-induced tone and inhibited NANC relaxation at all frequencies tested (0.1-20 Hz): the maximum inhibition obtained was 56 +/- 6% (n = 6). L-NOARG (0.3-30 microM) also augmented tone and inhibited NANC relaxation in a concentration-dependent manner, but unlike L-NMMA the maximum inhibition was 100%. 3. In the BRP, L-NMMA (10-100 microM) had no effect on tone or NANC-induced relaxation, but at 1000 microM tone was increased and NANC relaxation inhibited by 25 +/- 7% (n = 6). L-NOARG (0.3-30 microM) produced a concentration-dependent increase in tone and inhibition of NANC relaxation. As in the rat anococcygeus, inhibition of NANC relaxation was complete. 4. The effects of L-NMMA and L-NOARG were stereospecific since D-NMMA (10-1000 microM) and D-NOARG (1-1000 microM) had no effect on tone or NANC relaxation of the rat anococcygeus or BRP. 5. L-Arginine (10-300 microM) had no effect by itself on NANC-induced relaxation of the rat anococcygeus or BRP. It did, however, reverse the ability of L-NMMA (10-1000 microM) to augment tone and inhibit NANC relaxation in the rat anococcygeus and BRP. 6. On the bovine penile artery, both L-NMMA (100 microM) and L-NOARG (30 microM) augmented the tone induced by guanethidine (30 microM) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (0.2 microM) in an endothelium-dependent manner. L-NMMA had no effect on NANC-induced relaxation, but inhibited acetylcholine-induced endotheliumdependent relaxation. L-NOARG abolished NANC relaxation at all frequencies tested and inhibited acetylcholine-induced relaxation. D-NOARG (30 microM) had no effect on NANC or acetylcholine-induced relaxation. 7. The ability of L-NOARG to abolish NANC-induced relaxation in the rat anococcygeus, BRP and bovine penile artery suggests that the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway mediates neurotransmission in all three tissues. The effectiveness of L-NMMA in blocking NANC relaxation-in the rat anococcygeus but not the BRP and bovine penile artery suggests a species difference in the neuronal nitric oxide synthase. The neuronal and endothelial nitric oxide synthases in the penile artery also appear to differ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Glasgow.
authors.forename: X R
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.forename: I F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D002417:Cattle; D006145:Guanethidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation; D019335:Nitroarginine; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine
chemical_list: D019335:Nitroarginine; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D012701:Serotonin; D001120:Arginine; D006145:Guanethidine