Premium
EVIDENCE FOR A ROLE OF NITRIC OXIDE IN THE NEUROTRANSMITTER SYSTEM MEDIATING RELAXATION OF THE RAT ANOCOCCYGEUS MUSCLEC
Author(s) -
Li C. G.,
Rand M. J.
Publication year - 1989
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 - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1989.tb02404.x
Subject(s) - omega n methylarginine , sodium nitroprusside , nitric oxide , arginine , chemistry , neurotransmitter , stimulation , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , nitroarginine , endocrinology , medicine , nitric oxide synthase , biochemistry , biology , amino acid , receptor
SUMMARY 1. The nitric oxide (NO) synthesis inhibitor N G ‐monomethyl‐ l ‐arginine ( l ‐NMMA), but not d ‐NMMA, inhibited the NANC‐mediated relaxations of the rat anococcygeus muscle, but did not affect the relaxation produced by sodium nitroprusside. 2. The inhibitory effect of l ‐NMMA was reversed by l ‐arginine but not by d ‐arginine, and prior exposure to l ‐arginine blocked the effect of l ‐NMMA. 3. The noradrenergically mediated contractions of the anococcygeus elicited by field stimulation were slightly enhanced by l ‐NMMA, but the response to noradrenaline was not affected. 4. The results suggest that NANC transmission in the rat anococcygeus muscle involves the generation of NO from arginine.