Cat carotid body chemosensory responses to non-hypoxic stimuli are inhibited by sodium nitroprusside in situ and in vitro.
We studied the effects of sodium nitroprusside, a nitric oxide donor, on the chemosensory responses to cyanide and nicotine in the cat carotid body. In situ, sodium nitroprusside infusion reduced the cyanide-evoked responses in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro, Tyrode containing nitroprusside reversibly reduced the cyanide- (by 59%) and nicotine-induced (by 45%) chemosensory responses. The present results suggest that chemosensory responses induced by cyanide and nicotine are reduced by increased nitric oxide content, similarly to the hypoxic chemosensory responses.
Alcayaga
J
J
Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago. jalcayag@codon.ciencias.uchile.cl
Iturriaga
R
R
Ramirez
J
J
Readi
R
R
Quezada
C
C
Salinas
P
P
D000818:Animals; D002344:Carotid Body / Q000187:drug effects*; D002415:Cats; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D000860:Hypoxia; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012966:Sodium Cyanide / Q000494:pharmacology
D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants; D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D009538:Nicotine; D012966:Sodium Cyanide