title: Modulation of striatal dopamine release in cerebral ischemia by L-arginine.
abstract: The effect of L-arginine, the precursor of nitric oxide, on ischemic dopamine release from the striatum was investigated in Mongolian gerbils subjected to bilateral carotid artery occlusion (15 min) alone or with reflow (2 h). Dopamine and its metabolites were measured in the striatal extracellular space dialysate after continuous perfusion (2 microliters/min) of artificial extracellular fluid in the presence or absence of 15 mmol/liter L- or D-arginine or 1 mmol/liter nitro-L-arginine. L-Arginine but not D-arginine increased the striatal content of dopamine in pre- and postischemia whereas it lowered the levels of dopamine and 3-methoxytyramine induced by ischemia. In contrast, nitro-L-arginine reduced the preischemic levels of dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-acetic acid, and had no effect on the ischemic release of dopamine. These findings indicate that L-arginine stereospecifically modified the ischemic release and metabolism of dopamine. The data also suggest that the basal level of nitric oxide is not involved in dopamine release during ischemia but may participate in regulating dopamine release under physiological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Stroke Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spatz
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasuma
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strasser
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stanimirovic
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McCarron
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005849:Gerbillinae; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D001120:Arginine; D004298:Dopamine