Nitric oxide synthase inhibition suppresses wet dog shakes and augments convulsions in rats.
Electrical stimulation of limbic structures, pharmacological interventions, and getting wet induces wet dog shakes (WDS) in rats. WDS are often associated with the occurrence of seizures. In this study, we evaluated the effects of reduced NO production on physiologically (wetting)- or pharmacologically (kainic acid; KA)-induced WDS and KA-triggered seizures. Following wetting, naive and saline-treated rats displayed more WDS than rats treated with NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor, N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NA). In another experiment, WDS and seizures were monitored after KA treatment alone or in combination with L-NA. Again, NOS inhibition reduced the number of KA-triggered WDS but augmented the number and severity of seizures. Our results suggest that not only do physiologically- and kainate-induced WDS share a common mechanism that includes NO, but that there is also an antagonism between WDS and convulsions.
Ege University Center for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Izmir, Turkey.
Ersin O
EO
Koylu
Tolga
T
Uz
Hari
H
Manev
Sakire
S
Pogun
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004285:Dogs; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014867:Water
D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D014867:Water; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D007608:Kainic Acid