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The effects of L‐arginine and N G ‐monomethyl L‐arginine on the response of the rat anococcygeus muscle to NANC nerve stimulation
Author(s) -
Gillespie John S.,
Liu Xiaorong,
Martin William
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1989.tb12650.x
Subject(s) - arginine , omega n methylarginine , stimulation , nitric oxide , nitroarginine , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , endocrinology , medicine , chemistry , nitric oxide synthase , biochemistry , biology , amino acid
The effect of the competitive inhibitor of L‐arginine, N G ‐monomethyl L‐arginine (L‐NMMA) on the response of the rat anococcygeus muscle to non‐adrenergic, non‐cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory nerve stimulation has been examined. L‐NMMA causes a rise in muscle tone and inhibition of the response to nerve stimulation. The stereoisomer D‐NMMA is without effect. The rise in tone and inhibition of the nerve response is reversed by L‐arginine. Another analogue, L‐canavanine, which is effective against L‐arginine utilization in the macrophage, was without effect on the rat anococcygeus. These results provide indirect evidence for nitric oxide (NO) or a substance releasing NO as the transmitter of the NANC nerves in this tissue.