title: Role of nitric oxide in the control of burn perfusion.
abstract: Vascular changes following deep skin burns are characterised by vasoconstriction and progressive ischemia. Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to be a potent regulator of vascular smooth muscle tone and tissue perfusion. We assessed the importance of NO on post-burn skin perfusion in rats using laser Doppler. The present results show that neither the NO-synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) (n = 6) nor the NO precursor, L-arginine, significantly influenced skin perfusion in nonburned skin compared to saline-treated animals. In the area of full-thickness skin burn, neither L-arginine (n = 6) nor L-NNA (n = 6) had significant influence on post-burn perfusion compared to saline-treated controls (n = 6). Administration of L-NNA (n = 6) significantly impaired skin perfusion in the area adjacent to the contact burn representing a partial-thickness burn, while the NO precursor, L-arginine (n = 6) had no significant effect on burn perfusion as compared to saline-treated controls (n = 6). In conclusion, impairment of perfusion in a full thickness burn following administration of NO-synthase inhibitor suggests that nitric oxide is involved in the mechanisms responsible for maintaining adequate circulation post-burn. The lack of additional improvement of perfusion in response to L-arginine may suggest that NO synthesis in response to the thermal trauma is already at a peak.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Göteborg University, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lindblom
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cassuto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yregård
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mattsson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tarnow
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sinclair
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002056:Burns / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase