title: Lack of involvement of nitric oxide in NMDA-induced neuronal cell death in cortical culture.
abstract: In primary cultures of rat cerebral cortex, N-methyl-D-aspartate causes widespread neurotoxicity. Inhibitors of the nitric oxide generating the enzyme nitric oxide synthase has been shown to attenuate the effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate in a number of neuronal systems both in vivo and in vitro. In our experiments, the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N-nitroarginine was ineffective at blocking neurotoxicity induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate. Cyclic guanine monophosphate, known to be synthesized in response to nitric oxide was demonstrably inhibited by identical treatments with N-nitroarginine in sister cultures. We conclude that although nitric oxide is produced in response to N-methyl-D-aspartate, it is neither necessary nor sufficient for neurotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: CNS Pharmacology Section, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals Group, Wilmington, DE 19897.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Zinkand
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Stumpo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pullan
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008959:Models, Neurological; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000633:toxicity*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019335:Nitroarginine; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D006152:Cyclic GMP