title: Elevation of cyclic GMP levels in the rat pineal gland induced by nitric oxide.
abstract: The present paper reports that nitric oxide (NO) released by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is a potent activator of rat pineal cyclic GMP production without affecting cyclic AMP synthesis. Other drugs such as isoproterenol, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and peptide histidine isoleucine were ineffective in stimulating cyclic GMP production, but activated cyclic AMP production. However, L-arginine, the physiological precursor of NO, did not activate either cyclic GMP or NO synthesis. Because L-arginine failed to activate cyclic GMP production, results suggest that NO is not produced in the pineal gland, but behaves as a potent regulator of this cyclic nucleotide.
authors: Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 78284-7762.
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Guerrero
authors: R J
authors: RJ
authors: Reiter
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Poeggeler
authors: L D
authors: LD
authors: Chen
authors: D X
authors: DX
authors: Tan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D006152:Cyclic GMP