title: NG-Nitro-L-arginine protects against ischaemia-induced increases in nitric oxide and hippocampal neuro-degeneration in the gerbil.
abstract: To assess the effects of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-Nitro-L-arginine on behavioural, biochemical and histological changes following global ischaemia, the Mongolian gerbil was used. Ischaemia was induced by bilateral carotid occlusion for 5 min. NG-Nitro-L-arginine was administered i.p. at either 1 or 10 mg/kg 30 min, 6, 24, and 48 h after surgery. 5 min bilateral carotid occluded animals were hyperactive 24, 48 and 72 h after surgery. NG-Nitro-L-arginine caused some attenuation in this hyperactivity. The activity of nitric oxide synthase was increased in the cerebellum, brain stem, striatum, cerebral cortex and hippocampus of 5 min bilateral carotid occluded animals. NG-Nitro-L-arginine reversed the increase in nitric oxide synthase activity in all brain regions. Extensive neuronal death was observed in the CA1 layer of the hippocampus in 5 min bilateral carotid occluded animals 96 h after surgery. NG-Nitro-L-arginine significantly protected against the neuronal death of cells in the CA1 layer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University College Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caldwell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Earley
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leonard
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019335:Nitroarginine; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases