title: Effects of L-arginine on the afferent resting activity in the cephalopod statocyst.
abstract: The effects of bath application of the nitric oxide (NO) precursor L-arginine (L-ARG) on the resting activity (RA) of afferent crista fibers were studied in isolated statocysts of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis under various experimental conditions. L-ARG (threshold 10(-7) M) had three different effects: inhibition, excitation, and excitation followed by an inhibition; only the inhibitory effect of L-ARG was dose-dependent. D-Arginine (D-ARG) had no effect. When the preparation was pre-treated with NO synthase inhibitors (N(G)-Nitric-L-arginine methyl ester HCl (L-NAME), N(G)-Nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG)), both the inhibitory and the excitatory effects of L-ARG significantly decreased at higher concentrations (10(-5 to -4) M), or were completely blocked at lower concentrations (10(-7 to -6) M), of L-ARG. When the preparation was pre-treated with guanylate cyclase inhibitors (1H-[1,2, 4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), methylene blue (M-BLU), cystamine (CYS)), L-ARG had only excitatory effects, whereas its effects were only inhibitory when the preparation was pre-treated with adenylate cyclase inhibitors 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (DDA), MDL-12330A (MDL), nicotinic acid (NIC-A)). L-ARG had no effects when the pre-treatment was with a guanylate cyclase inhibitor and an adenylate cyclase inhibitor combined; in that situation, the RA of the afferent fibers remained. These data indicate that in cephalopod statocysts, a cGMP and a cAMP signal transduction pathway (presumably via the generation of NO) are responsible for the effects of L-ARG on the RA of crista afferent fibers. They also indicate that the L-ARG-cGMP pathway is the dominant pathway and is inhibitory, and that both pathways have only modulatory effects on, but are not essential for, the generation of the RA.
authors.affiliation: Marine Biomedical Institute, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-1163, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: B U
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Budelmann
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000067956:Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000502:physiology; D003538:Cystamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003634:DDT / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D049832:Decapodiformes; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D018069:Hair Cells, Vestibular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*; D007097:Imines / Q000494:pharmacology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000494:pharmacology; D008974:Mollusca / Q000502:physiology*; D009249:NADP / Q000494:pharmacology; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009525:Niacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010069:Oxadiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000494:pharmacology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C095284:1H-(1,2,4)oxadiazolo(4,3-a)quinoxalin-1-one; D000067956:Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007097:Imines; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D010069:Oxadiazoles; D011810:Quinoxalines; D019335:Nitroarginine; D009525:Niacin; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D009249:NADP; C014925:RMI 12330A; C000849:bis(p-chlorophenyl)acetic acid; D001120:Arginine; D003634:DDT; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D003538:Cystamine; D008751:Methylene Blue; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester