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Evidence that part of the NANC relaxant response of guinea‐pig trachea to electrical field stimulation is mediated by nitric oxide
Author(s) -
Li Chun Guang,
Rand Michael J.
Publication year - 1991
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.1476-5381.1991.tb12137.x
Subject(s) - sodium nitroprusside , omega n methylarginine , nitric oxide , vasoactive intestinal peptide , stimulation , guinea pig , nitric oxide synthase , arginine , chemistry , acetylcholine , nitroarginine , cholinergic , endocrinology , medicine , carbachol , muscle contraction , pharmacology , biochemistry , amino acid , neuropeptide , receptor
1 The nitric oxide (NO) synthesis inhibitors N G ‐monomethyl l ‐arginine ( l ‐NMMA) and l ‐nitroarginine methyl ester ( l ‐NAME) reduced relaxations of guinea‐pig tracheal smooth muscle elicited by stimulation of intramural non‐adrenergic, non‐cholinergic (NANC) nerves, but d ‐NMMA had no effect. l ‐NAME was 10–30 times more potent than l ‐NMMA. Relaxations produced by sodium nitroprusside and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were not affected by l ‐NMMA or l ‐NAME. 2 The inhibitory effect of l ‐NMMA on NANC‐mediated relaxations was partially reversed by l ‐arginine but was not affected by d ‐arginine. 3 VIP antibody and α‐chymotrypsin abolished or greatly reduced the relaxant action of VIP and reduced relaxations elicited by stimulation of NANC nerves; the residual NANC relaxation was further reduced by l ‐NAME. 4 The results suggest that NO and VIP are mediators of NANC‐induced relaxations of guinea‐pig tracheal smooth muscle. We propose the term ‘nitrergic’ to describe transmission processes which are mediated by NO.