title: Chronic inhibition of nitric oxide production augments skin vasoconstriction in the rabbit ear.
abstract: The effect of chronic inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on cutaneous ear blood flow (EBF) in the rabbit was examined in vivo with use of laser Doppler flowmetry. Additionally, the efficacy of inhibition of NO by L-NAME was studied ex vivo in isolated preparations of aortic rings from these rabbits. Before surgical implantation of osmotic pumps loaded with L-NAME, resting EBF was not significantly different in rabbits selected for control or L-NAME treatment. Although chronic L-NAME treatment had no significant effect on resting core temperature, resting EBF was reduced significantly in L-NAME-treated rabbits as compared with EBF in control rabbits. Short-term body warming for 10-20 min caused a significant increase in EBF, but not in body temperature, to levels that were not significantly different between groups at 0, 1 and 2 weeks. Prolonged body warming for a further 30-40 min produced a rise in body temperature and a further increase in EBF of 22% to levels that were not significantly different in control and L-NAME-treated groups. Acetylcholine-induced relaxations of aortic rings and levels of cyclic GMP were significantly reduced in L-NAME-treated rabbits as compared with control rabbits, whereas relaxations to sodium nitroprusside were enhanced significantly. These findings demonstrate that the synthesis of NO can be inhibited chronically in the rabbit and are consistent with the concept that NO participates in the control of skin blood flow by counteracting vasoconstrictor tone but not in the vasodilation induced by body warming.
authors.affiliation: Robert Dawson Evans Memorial Department of Clinical Research, Department of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Palacino
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Coffman
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004431:Ear, External / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D000109:Acetylcholine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester