title: L-arginine improves the symptoms of strokelike episodes in MELAS.
abstract: Based on the hypothesis that mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and strokelike episodes (MELAS) are caused by impaired vasodilation in an intracerebral artery, the authors evaluated the effects of administering l-arginine, a nitric oxide precursor. Patients were administered L-arginine intravenously at the acute phase or orally at the interictal phase. L-arginine infusions significantly improved all strokelike symptoms, suggesting that oral administration within 30 minutes of a stroke significantly decreased frequency and severity of strokelike episodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-Machi, Kurume City, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan. yasukoga@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akita
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yatsuga
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Povalko
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Toyojiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuishi
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood; D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D017241:MELAS Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D010291:Paresis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine; D002784:Cholesterol; D006152:Cyclic GMP