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Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity In Adrenocorticotrophin‐Induced Hypertension In The Rat
Author(s) -
Turner Sw,
Mangos Gj,
Whitworth Ja
Publication year - 2001
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.1440-1681.2001.03539.x
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , nitric oxide , nitrite , corticosterone , nitric oxide synthase , pathogenesis , blood pressure , saline , chemistry , adrenocorticotropic hormone , nitrate , hemodynamics , essential hypertension , hormone , organic chemistry
SUMMARY 1. The nitric oxide (NO) system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various forms of experimental hypertension. We studied nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity as a possible indicator of NO production in adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH)‐induced hypertension in the rat. 2. Haemodynamic, metabolic and biochemical parameters were examined in sham (saline)‐ and ACTH (100 μg/kg per day)‐treated male Sprague‐Dawley rats ( n = 20). 3. Adrenocorticotrophin treatment increased systolic blood pressure, serum corticosterone, adrenal NOS activity and adrenal nitrate and nitrite concentrations and decreased bodyweight and plasma nitrate/nitrite. 4. Previous observations of diminished NO production in ACTH‐ and corticosterone‐induced hypertension in the rat were confirmed, but could not be explained by reduced NOS activity in the present study.