title: Role of nitric oxide in maintenance of basal oral tissue blood flow in anesthetized cats.
abstract: Experiments were undertaken to determine if nitric oxide (NO) plays a role in regulation of basal blood flow in the oral cavity of pentobarbital anesthetized cats and, if so, to quantify this effect using dose-response relationships. Blood flow was continuously measured from the surface of the tongue and mandibular gingiva (laser-Doppler flowmetry) and from the lingual artery (ultrasonic flowmetry). Cardiovascular parameters also were recorded. Administration of the nonselective inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), L-NAME (0.08-20 mg/kg i.v.), produced a dose-related increase of blood pressure associated with decreases of blood flow at all three measurement sites. Maximal blood flow depression of 50-60% was seen 30-60 min after administration of 1.25 mg/kg of L-NAME. D-NAME (1.25 mg/kg i.v.) was inactive at all sites. Subsequent administration of L-arginine partially reversed effects of L-NAME in the lingual artery and tongue, but not in the gingival circulation. The neuronally selective NOS inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole (7-NI, 30 mg/kg i.p.), was devoid of effect on any of the measured parameters. These results suggest that endothelial (but not neuronally derived) NO plays an important role in control of basal blood flow in oral tissues of the cat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma, College of Medicine, 940 Stanton L. Young Street, Biomed. Res. Sci. Building 724, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, USA. michael-koss@ouhsc.edu
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Koss
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000759:Adjuvants, Anesthesia / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014059:Tongue / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000759:Adjuvants, Anesthesia; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester