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.
Institute of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
G
G
Calapai
A P
AP
Caputi
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