Open AccessEffects of Sodium Nitroprusside on the Catecholamine Synthetic Pathway in the Adrenal Medulla of Rats
Author(s) -
Toshio Kumai,
Masami Tanaka,
Tomonori Tateishi,
Masako Asoh,
Shinichi Kobayashi
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
japanese journal of pharmacology/japanese journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1347-3506
pISSN - 0021-5198
DOI - 10.1254/jjp.77.205
Subject(s) - sodium nitroprusside , adrenal medulla , epinephrine , catecholamine , endocrinology , medicine , norepinephrine , chemistry , nitric oxide , tyrosine hydroxylase , dopamine
We studied the effect of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity and epinephrine and norepinephrine levels in the adrenal medulla of rats. TH activity and the levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine in the adrenal medulla of the SNP+nicotine (Nic)-treated group were increased significantly compared to those in the control, Nic-treated and SNP-treated groups. Furthermore, methylene blue inhibited this increase in TH activity. The data suggest that the NO derived from SNP may increase TH through the guanylyl cyclase pathway in the presence of Nic.