Biomaterial Database

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis potentiates hypoxic vasoconstriction in isolated rat lungs. 1990

B E Robertson, and J B Warren, and P C Nye

University Laboratory of Physiology, Oxford.

We have investigated the influence of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) on the vascular resistance of isolated rat lungs by inhibiting its synthesis with the false substrate N-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). When perfused with blood at constant flow the addition of L-NMMA (10(-3) M) did not affect pulmonary arterial pressure in hyperoxia but did increase the response to hypoxia (PO2 25-35 mmHg) by 2.5 +/- 0.2 fold (mean +/- S.E.M.). The effect of L-NMMA was reversed by 3 x 10(-3) M-L-arginine, the true substrate for NO synthesis. Thus NO is an important pulmonary vasodilator but hypoxic vasoconstriction does not result from a reduction of its background release.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009569	Nitric Oxide	A free radical gas produced endogenously by a variety of mammalian cells, synthesized from ARGININE by NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE. Nitric oxide is one of the ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT RELAXING FACTORS released by the vascular endothelium and mediates VASODILATION. It also inhibits platelet aggregation, induces disaggregation of aggregated platelets, and inhibits platelet adhesion to the vascular endothelium. Nitric oxide activates cytosolic GUANYLATE CYCLASE and thus elevates intracellular levels of CYCLIC GMP.	Endogenous Nitrate Vasodilator,Mononitrogen Monoxide,Nitric Oxide, Endothelium-Derived,Nitrogen Monoxide,Endothelium-Derived Nitric Oxide,Monoxide, Mononitrogen,Monoxide, Nitrogen,Nitrate Vasodilator, Endogenous,Nitric Oxide, Endothelium Derived,Oxide, Nitric,Vasodilator, Endogenous Nitrate
D011652	Pulmonary Circulation	The circulation of the BLOOD through the LUNGS.	Pulmonary Blood Flow,Respiratory Circulation,Circulation, Pulmonary,Circulation, Respiratory,Blood Flow, Pulmonary,Flow, Pulmonary Blood,Pulmonary Blood Flows
D011669	Pulmonary Wedge Pressure	The blood pressure as recorded after wedging a CATHETER in a small PULMONARY ARTERY; believed to reflect the PRESSURE in the pulmonary CAPILLARIES.	Pulmonary Artery Wedge Pressure,Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure,Pulmonary Venous Wedge Pressure,Wedge Pressure,Pressure, Pulmonary Wedge,Pressures, Pulmonary Wedge,Pulmonary Wedge Pressures,Wedge Pressure, Pulmonary,Wedge Pressures, Pulmonary,Pressure, Wedge,Pressures, Wedge,Wedge Pressures
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000860	Hypoxia	Sub-optimal OXYGEN levels in the ambient air of living organisms.	Anoxia,Oxygen Deficiency,Anoxemia,Deficiency, Oxygen,Hypoxemia,Deficiencies, Oxygen,Oxygen Deficiencies
D001120	Arginine	An essential amino acid that is physiologically active in the L-form.	Arginine Hydrochloride,Arginine, L-Isomer,DL-Arginine Acetate, Monohydrate,L-Arginine,Arginine, L Isomer,DL Arginine Acetate, Monohydrate,Hydrochloride, Arginine,L Arginine,L-Isomer Arginine,Monohydrate DL-Arginine Acetate
D014661	Vasoconstriction	The physiological narrowing of BLOOD VESSELS by contraction of the VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE.	Vasoconstrictions
D051381	Rats	The common name for the genus Rattus.	Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus
D019323	omega-N-Methylarginine	A competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthetase.	D-NMMA,L-Monomethylarginine,L-NMMA,NG-Monomethyl-L-Arginine,L-NG-Monomethyl Arginine,N(G)-Methylarginine,N(G)-Monomethyl-D-Arginine,N(G)-Monomethylarginine,N(omega)-Monomethyl-L-Arginine,Arginine, L-NG-Monomethyl,L Monomethylarginine,L NG Monomethyl Arginine,NG Monomethyl L Arginine,omega N Methylarginine