title: Arginine is a physiological precursor of endothelium-derived nitric oxide.
abstract: ATP dose dependently stimulated the formation and release of nitric oxide (NO) from perfused rabbit aorta. L-Canavanine, an inhibitor of various L-arginine-utilizing enzymes, abolished basal and ATP-induced NO formation and release. ATP increased the accumulation of presumably NO-derived NO2- in the medium of primary cultures of bovine aortic endothelial cells. 15NO, 15NO2- and 15NO3- formation was found when L-[guanido-15N2]arginine was added to the culture medium. We conclude that the terminal guanidino nitrogens of L-arginine are the physiological precursors of endothelium-derived NO.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmakologie, Freie Universität Berlin, F.R.G.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nau
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wittfoht
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerlach
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Prescher
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Niroomand
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Böhme
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000378:metabolism; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism*; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D009590:Nitrogen Radioisotopes; D011817:Rabbits; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D001685:Biological Factors; D009590:Nitrogen Radioisotopes; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine