title: Anorexia nervosa: a role for L-arginine supplementation in cardiovascular risk factors?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a short-term oral L-arginine treatment on platelet NO production, intracellular calcium concentration, iNOS and eNOS expression, in AN patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty outpatients belonging to restricting subtype and 40 normal participants age and sex matched were enrolled in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NO production was significantly elevated in the platelets from AN patients compared with controls while [Ca(2+)](i) was significantly decreased in patients with respect to controls. Western blot analysis demonstrated that iNOS isoform was more pronounced in the cell lysates from AN patients than controls. After supplementation with L-arginine, both NO production and [Ca(2+)](i) seem to return to control levels, suggesting a probable recovery of their metabolisms. The same was found after western blot analysis of NOS expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results here proposed can be considered highly indicative of a positive effect of L-arginine supplementation on platelet NO production in AN patients.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy. vignini2@libero.it
authors: Arianna
authors: A
authors: Vignini
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: D'Angelo
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Nanetti
authors: Maria Angela
authors: MA
authors: Camilloni
authors: Anna Maria
authors: AM
authors: Cester
authors: Emanuela
authors: E
authors: Faloia
authors: Eleonora
authors: E
authors: Salvolini
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Mazzanti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D001120:Arginine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000378:metabolism*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D002118:Calcium