title: Effects of an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis on postcapillary venules.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine whether an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NG,NG'-dimethyl-L-arginine; L-DMA) that is produced by vascular endothelium elicits the inflammatory responses induced by synthetic analogues of L-arginine such as NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Leukocyte adherence and emigration, leukocyte-platelet aggregation, and albumin leakage were monitored in rat mesenteric venules exposed to different concentrations of either L-DMA or L-NAME. Increases in leukocyte adherence (7- to 9-fold) and emigration (3- to 5-fold), platelet-leukocyte aggregation, mast cell degranulation, and an enhanced albumin leakage (30-50%) were observed within 30 min after exposing the microvascular bed to either inhibitor; however, leukocyte emigration and albumin leakage responded more intensely to L-NAME than to L-DMA. The microvascular alterations and mast cell degranulation were attenuated by addition of L-arginine to the superfusate. These results suggest that the L-DMA is capable of eliciting an inflammatory response at concentrations detected in plasma under certain pathological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Medical Center, Shreveport 71130, USA.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kurose
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Grisham
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Granger
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D014699:Venules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester