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. 1990 Aug;100(4):749–752. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1990.tb14086.x

L-NG-nitro-arginine and its methyl ester are potent inhibitors of non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic transmission in the rat anococcygeus.

A J Hobbs 1, A Gibson 1
PMCID: PMC1917572  PMID: 2169939

Abstract

1. The effects of L-NG-nitro-arginine (L-NOARG) and some other arginine analogues on non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) relaxations of the rat anococcygeus muscle were investigated. 2. L-NOARG (5-200 microM) produced concentration-related inhibition of the NANC response; 100 microM L-NOARG produced 90% inhibition. 3. L-Arginine (5-200 microM) produced a concentration-related reversal of the inhibitory effect of 20 microM L-NOARG; a five fold excess of L-arginine (100 microM) was required to obtain the maximum reversal of 90%. D-Arginine (100 microM) produced no such reversal, but significant reversal was produced by L-citrulline, L-arginine-L-aspartate, L-homoarginine and L-arginine-methyl-ester (all at 100 microM). 4. L-NG-nitro-arginine-methyl-ester (L-NAME; 5-200 microM) also reduced NANC relaxations, with a potency similar to that of L-NOARG; both L-NOARG and L-NAME were some ten times more potent than L-NG-monomethyl-arginine (L-NMMA). Like L-NOARG, the effects of L-NAME (20 microM) were reversed by 100 microM L- but not D-arginine. 5. Neither L-NOARG nor L-NAME (both 20 microM) affected submaximal relaxations induced by 10 microM sodium nitroprusside or 20 microM hydroxylamine. 6. D-NOARG, L-NG-tosyl-arginine and L-N alpha-(t-butyl-oxycarbonyl)-NG-nitro-arginine (all at 100 microM) had no effect on NANC relaxations. 7. Thus, in the rat anococcygeus, L-NOARG and L-NAME are more potent than L-NMMA as prejunctional inhibitors of NANC transmission.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Selected References

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