title: Participation of the components of L-arginine/nitric oxide/cGMP cascade by chemically-induced abdominal constriction in the mouse.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the L-arginine/nitric oxide (NO)/cGMP pathway in p-benzoquinone-induced writhing model in mouse. L-arginine, a NO precursor, displayed antinociceptive effects at the doses of 0.125-1.0 mg/kg. When the doses of L-arginine were increased gradually to 10-100 mg/kg, a dose-dependent triphasic pattern of nociception-antinociception-nociception was obtained. The NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (18.7515 mg/kg), possessed antinociceptive activity. Methylene blue (MB), a guanylyl cyclase and/or NOS inhibitor, (5-160 mg/kg) also produced a dose-dependent triphasic response. When L-arginine (50 mg/ kg) was combined with L-NAME (75 mg/kg). L-arginine-induced antinociception did not change significantly. Cotreatment of L-arginine with 5 mg/kg MB significantly decreased MB-induced antinociception and reversed the nociception induced by 40 mg/kg MB to antinociception. It is concluded that the components of L-arginine/nitric oxide/cGMP cascade may participate in nociceptive processes both peripherally and centrally by a direct effect on nociceptors or by the involvement of other related pathways of nociceptive processes induced by NO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey. nabaci@farma.net.tr
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abacioğlu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tunçtan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akbulut
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cakici
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000633:toxicity; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D008297:Male; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D016227:Benzoquinones; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C004532:quinone; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D008751:Methylene Blue; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester