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Effect of methylguanidine on rat blood pressure: role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase
Author(s) -
Sorrentino Raffaella,
Pinto Aldo
Publication year - 1995
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.1476-5381.1995.tb16363.x
Subject(s) - hexamethonium , endocrinology , blood pressure , medicine , nitric oxide synthase , arginine , nitric oxide , chemistry , endogeny , stimulation , biochemistry , amino acid
1 The effect of acute i.v. administration of methylguanidine (MG) on mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) was investigated in anaesthetized male Wistar rats. 2 MG (1–30 mg kg −l i.v.) produced an increase in MABP in a dose‐dependent manner both in normal and in hexamethonium (5 mg kg −1 , i.v)‐treated rats. 3 L ‐Arginine (30 or 150 mg kg −1 , i.v.), but not its enantiomer D‐arginine (30 or 150 mg kg −1 , i.v.), reversed the effect of MG on MABP in both normal and hexamethonium‐treated rats. 4 L ‐Arginine (150 mg kg −1 , i.v.) administered 2min before MG (30 mg kg −1 , i.v.) prevented the increase in MABP caused by MG in either normal or hexamethonium‐treated rats. This effect was not observed with D‐arginine (150 mg kg −1 , i.v.). 5 Thus, the rise in MABP caused by MG in the anaesthetized rat is due to inhibition of endothelial NO‐synthase activity. We speculate that the rise in the plasma concentration of endogenous MG associated with uraemia may contribute to the hypertension seen in patients with chronic renal failure.