title: Citrulline does not relax isolated rat and rabbit vessels.
abstract: The study was prompted by the report of Ruiz E. & Tejerina T., 1998 describing endothelium-independent relaxation by L-citrulline via activation of particulate guanylate cyclase. We compared the effects of L-citrulline and L-arginine in isolated aortic rings of rats and in isolated aortic, carotid and femoral artery rings of rabbits. No significant relaxation to either L-citrulline or L-arginine was found in the concentration range of 10(-12) to 10(-3) M, while 3-morpholinosydnonimine hydrochloride (SIN-1, 10(-6) M) relaxed vascular tissues. This study does not support the conclusion that L-citrulline has direct vasorelaxing action on vascular smooth muscle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Divisions of Reproductive Sciences and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas, TX 77555-1062, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vedernikov
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Saade
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Garfield
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002956:Citrulline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008981:Molsidomine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D002956:Citrulline; C002385:linsidomine; D001120:Arginine; D008981:Molsidomine; D009638:Norepinephrine