Faculty Collaboration Database

Reversal by L-arginine of a dysfunctional arginine/nitric oxide pathway in the endothelium of the genetic diabetic BB rat. Diabetologia 1997 Aug;40(8):910-5

Date

08/01/1997

Pubmed ID

9267985

DOI

10.1007/s001250050767

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0030801087 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   66 Citations

Abstract

We examined the effects of acute supplementation with arginine in vitro on endothelium-dependent relaxation in aortic rings taken from female genetic, diabetes-prone BB rats. Sensitivity to norepinephrine-induced contraction was unaltered in rings of diabetic BB rats compared to rings from non-diabetic littermates. In precontracted rings, acetylcholine produced a concentration-dependent relaxation which was impaired by diabetes. This relaxation was blocked by L-nitroarginine in both control and diabetic rings. Addition of 3 mmol/l L-arginine (but not D-arginine) enhanced relaxation in diabetic rings similar to that seen in control rings without arginine. L-arginine had no effect on acetylcholine-induced relaxation in control rings. In contrast, relaxation-induced by nitroglycerin in diabetic rings without endothelium was not altered by L-arginine treatment. Thus, a defect in the utilization of arginine by nitric oxide synthase exists in the endothelium of the diabetic BB rat.

Author List

Pieper GM, Siebeneich W, Moore-Hilton G, Roza AM

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Acetylcholine
Animals
Aorta, Thoracic
Arginine
Cohort Studies
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1
Disease Models, Animal
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Endothelium, Vascular
Female
Muscle Relaxation
Nitric Oxide Synthase
Nitroglycerin
Rats
Rats, Inbred BB