title: The involvement of nitric oxide synthase in the effect of histamine on guinea-pig airway smooth muscle in vitro.
abstract: The influence of histamine on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the development of airway smooth muscle hyperresponsiveness to histamine was investigated in vitro. In the absence of histamine, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 microM) had no significant effect on the basal tone. However, precontraction of the tissues with histamine (0.3 microM) resulted in a significant contractile response to L-NAME in the preparations with intact epithelium. Removal of the epithelial layer decreased the responses to L-NAME. L-arginine could partially reverse the contraction produced by L-NAME. L-NAME enhanced the maximal response to histamine, but the sensitivity of the tracheal smooth muscle to histamine was not affected. These results suggest that, in the airway, histamine can activate NOS, resulting in the release of nitric oxide. The latter may be regarded as a local negative modulator to maintain the tissue in a physiological homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Pharmacochemistry, Vrije Universeit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Z Q
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bast
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Timmerman
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000502:physiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D014132:Trachea / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D001685:Biological Factors; C067763:epithelium-derived inhibitory factor; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D006632:Histamine; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester