Nitric oxide and drinking behaviour.
The role of brain L-arginine/nitric oxide biochemical pathway in the regulation of drinking behaviour was investigated. Drinking was induced by water deprivation or by intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) injected angiotensin II. L-Arginine, the amino-acid precursor of nitric oxide, i.c.v. injected, caused a dose-dependent reduction of the intake of water induced both by water deprivation and i.c.v. angiotensin II (P < 0.001). L-NAME, inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, reverted L-arginine antidipsogenic effect. L-Arginine, given into the preoptic area (POA) caused a potent antidipsogenic effect (P < 0.001). Either methylene blue (inhibitor of guanylate cyclase activation) or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), injected into the POA, antagonized the antidipsogenic effect of i.c.v. injected L-arginine. The results indicate that nitric oxide acts as an inhibitory mechanism into the POA and that its antidipsogenic effect requires prostaglandin synthesis.
Calapai
G
G
Institute of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
Caputi
A P
AP
D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004327:Drinking Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D000804:Angiotensin II; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester