title: Role of nitric oxide in the control of cerebral microcirculation under physiological and pathological conditions.
abstract: Effect of nitric oxide (NO) on vasomotor tone of cerebral parenchymal arterioles was studied in rats. Then, the role of NO was clinically investigated in the pathogenesis of progressive cerebral vascular occlusive disease, moyamoya disease. In rat, the cerebral arterioles, about 30-60 microm in diameter, were dilated by L-arginine, a precursor of NO, at concentrations as low as 0.1 micromol with maximal dilation of 14% at 100 micromol. The arterioles were constricted by N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), a NO synthesis inhibitor. Superoxide dismutase, which seems to protect NO from inactivation, increased sensitivity of L-arginine. Compared with control specimens of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) obtained from 16 patients, concentrations NO metabolites in the CSF of 23 patients with moyamoya disease were significantly higher. NO metabolites concentrations obtained during initial surgery decreased during a second, contralateral procedure. NO plays an important role in the regulation of basal tone of cerebral parenchymal arterioles and contributes to the increase in collateral circulation in cerebral occlusive disease like moyamoya disease. Vascular bypass surgery can reduce NO metabolites together with abnormal collateral circulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Nagoya Daini Red Cross Hospital, Japan. yosu@nagoya2.jrc.or.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kajita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takayasu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001160:Arterioles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002548:Cerebral Revascularization / Q000379:methods; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D009072:Moyamoya Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000494:pharmacology; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000502:physiology; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase