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Role Of Nitric Oxide In Adrenocorticotrophin‐Induced Hypertension: L ‐Arginine Effects Reversed By N ‐Nitro‐ L ‐Arginine
Author(s) -
Wen Cheng,
Li Ming,
Whitworth Judith A
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1681.2000.03354.x
Subject(s) - arginine , medicine , nitric oxide , endocrinology , blood pressure , adrenocorticotropic hormone , chemistry , amino acid , biochemistry , hormone
SUMMARY 1. L ‐Arginine prevents adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH)‐induced hypertension in the rat. To confirm that this effect is mediated through the nitric oxide (NO) system, we examined whether N ‐nitro‐ L ‐arginine (NOLA) could reverse the L ‐arginine‐induced blockade of ACTH‐induced hypertension. 2. Blood pressure and metabolic parameters were examined in sham‐, ACTH‐, L ‐arginine + sham‐, NOLA + sham‐, ACTH + L ‐arginine‐ and ACTH + L ‐arginine + NOLA‐treated Sprague‐Dawley rats ( n = 40). 3. Adrenocorticotrophin treatment increased systolic blood pressure (SBP), water intake and urine output and decreased bodyweight. N ‐Nitro‐ L ‐arginine alone increased SBP without affecting metabolic variables. L ‐Arginine alone did not affect blood pressure. The SBP was lower in L ‐arginine + ACTH‐ than ACTH‐treated rats ( P < 0.001), but was higher following ACTH + L ‐arginine + NOLA than ACTH + L ‐arginine ( P < 0.05). 4. N ‐Nitro‐ L ‐arginine reversed the blood pressure‐lowering effect of L ‐arginine in ACTH‐induced hypertension in the rat, supporting the notion that NO plays a role in the hypertension.