Control of Regional Blood Flow by Endothelium-Derived Nitric Oxide

The regional hemodynamic consequences of inhibiting vascular endothelial nitric oxide generation with N-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) were studied in conscious Long-Evans rats. Experiments were carried out in groups of chronically instrumented rats with intravascular catheters and pulsed Doppler pr...

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Published inHypertension (Dallas, Tex. 1979) Vol. 15; no. 5; pp. 486 - 492
Main Authors Gardiner, Sheila M, Compton, Alix M, Bennett, Terence, Palmer, Richard M.J, Moncada, Salvador
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Philadelphia, PA American Heart Association, Inc 01.05.1990
Hagerstown, MD Lippincott
Subjects
Animals
Arginine - analogs & derivatives
Arginine - pharmacology
Biological and medical sciences
Blood Circulation - physiology
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Drug Synergism
Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hemodynamics. Rheology
Male
Nitric Oxide - metabolism
omega-N-Methylarginine
Rats
Rats, Inbred Strains
Regional Blood Flow
Vertebrates: cardiovascular system
Regional blood flow
Vertebrata
Regulation(control)
Mammalia
Rat
Blood vessel
Rodentia
Excitatory aminoacid
Nitrogen monoxide
Circulatory system
Blood flow
Endothelium
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Summary:The regional hemodynamic consequences of inhibiting vascular endothelial nitric oxide generation with N-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) were studied in conscious Long-Evans rats. Experiments were carried out in groups of chronically instrumented rats with intravascular catheters and pulsed Doppler probes to monitor regional blood flow. L-NMMA (0.3–300 mg/kg) caused a dose-dependent, long-lasting (5–90 minutes), and enantiomerically specific increase in mean blood pressure and also caused bradycardia. The increase in blood pressure was accompanied by a dose-dependent and long-lasting vasoconstriction in the internal carotid, mesenteric, renal, and hindquarters vascular beds that could be attenuated, in a concentrationdependent manner, by L-arginine but not by D-arginine. In contrast, L-arginine did not affect the pressor or vasoconstrictor effects of vasopressin. These results indicate that nitric oxide production by vascular endothelial cells contributes to the maintenance of blood pressure and to the control of the resting tone of different vascular beds in the conscious rat.
ISSN:0194-911X
1524-4563
DOI:10.1161/01.hyp.15.5.486