title: Long-term administration of D-NAME induces hemodynamic and structural changes in the cardiovascular system.
abstract: N(G)-nitro-D-arginine-methyl ester (D-NAME) is considered to be an inactive enantiomer of L-NAME and is generally used as the negative control for NO synthase inhibition with L-NAME. With the aim to compare the effects of 4-week L-NAME and D-NAME treatments on hemodynamic and cardiovascular structural parameters, four groups of male Wistar rats were investigated: the controls and groups administered 40 and 20 mg/kg/day of L-NAME and 40 mg/kg/day of D-NAME. At the end of the experiment, myocardial NO synthase activity decreased by 42, 24 and 25%; aortic NO synthase activity decreased by 35, 15 and 13% vs. controls in the L-NAME 40, L-NAME 20 and D-NAME 40 groups, respectively. The DNA concentrations in the myocardium and the aorta increased significantly after L-NAME and D-NAME treatments. The inhibition of NO synthase was accompanied by a significant elevation in systolic blood pressure in all three groups. The LVW/BW ratio increased by 27, 14 and 13% vs. controls in the L-NAME 40, L-NAME 20 and D-NAME 40 groups, respectively. The aortic wall mass, measured as the cross-sectional area, increased by 45, 17 and 25% vs. controls in the L-NAME 40, L-NAME 20 and D-NAME 40 groups, respectively. Myocardial fibrosis represented 0.94% in the controls, but 7.96, 4.70 and 5.25% in L-NAME 40, L-NAME 20 and D-NAME 40 groups, respectively. It is concluded that D-NAME, although less affective than L-NAME, inhibits NO synthase activity resulting in hemodynamic and structural changes in the cardiovascular system similar to the changes induced by half the dose of L-NAME. Thus, the consideration of D-NAME as an inactive enantiomer and its use as the negative control needs to be reevaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, USA. babal@fmed.uniba.sk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Babál
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pechánová
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bernátová
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000201:enzymology; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000201:enzymology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D004247:DNA; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester