title: Does nitric oxide buffer arterial blood pressure variability in humans?
abstract: Animal studies suggest that nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in buffering short-term arterial pressure variability, but data from humans addressing this hypothesis are scarce. We evaluated the effects of NO synthase (NOS) inhibition on arterial blood pressure (BP) variability in eight healthy subjects in the supine position and during 60 degrees head-up tilt (HUT). Systemic NOS was blocked by intravenous infusion of N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). Electrocardiogram and beat-by-beat BP in the finger (Finapres) were recorded continuously for 6 min, and brachial cuff BP was recorded before and after L-NMMA in each body position. BP and R-R variability and their transfer functions were quantified by power spectral analysis in the low-frequency (LF; 0.05-0.15 Hz) and high-frequency (HF; 0.15-0.35 Hz) ranges. L-NMMA infusion increased supine BP (systolic, 109 +/- 4 vs. 122 +/- 3 mmHg, P = 0.03; diastolic, 68 +/- 2 vs. 78 +/- 3 mmHg, P = 0.002), but it did not affect supine R-R interval or BP variability. Before L-NMMA, HUT decreased HF R-R variability (P = 0.03), decreased transfer function gain (LF, 12 +/- 2 vs. 5 +/- 1 ms/mmHg, P = 0.007; HF, 18 +/- 3 vs. 3 +/- 1 ms/mmHg, P = 0.002), and increased LF BP variability (P < 0.0001). After L-NMMA, HUT resulted in similar changes in BP and R-R variability compared with tilt without L-NMMA. Increased supine BP after L-NMMA with no effect on BP variability during HUT suggests that tonic release of NO is important for systemic vascular tone and thus steady-state arterial pressure, but NO does not buffer dynamic BP oscillations in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, USA.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Julie H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zuckerman
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Thad E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Craig G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Crandall
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009991:Oscillometry; D010507:Periodicity; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase