Comparison of effects of chronic and acute administration of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester to the rat on inhibition of nitric oxide-mediated responses.

1. Vascular responses to acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside in vivo and in vitro, in the isolated perfused kidney and in rings of rat thoracic aorta, were measured in rats treated chronically with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; approx, 70 mg kg-1) and compared to responses in age-matched control animals, and age-matched animals after the acute administration of L-NAME (3-100 mumol kg-1). Parallel experiments examined alterations in responsiveness in rings of trachea and anococcygeus muscles taken from the same animals. 2. Chronic oral administration of L-NAME elevated the blood pressure in anaesthetized animals from 114 +/- 5 mmHg to 153 +/- 11 mmHg (n = 5). The hypotensive responses to both acetylcholine (1 nmol kg-1) and sodium nitroprusside (10 nmol kg-1) were enhanced by chronic L-NAME treatment (n = 5-7) whereas acute L-NAME administration enhanced only the response to sodium nitroprusside (n = 5). 3. After chronic treatment with L-NAME, the basal perfusion pressure in the isolated perfused kidney was elevated. However, vasodilator responses to either acetylcholine (1 nmol) or sodium nitroprusside (3 nmol) were unaltered (n = 5-7). The vasodilatation induced by acetylcholine was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by the administration of acute L-NAME (0.1 - 100 microM; n = 5), such that significant inhibition was seen at 10 microM L-NAME. The response to sodium nitroprusside was unaffected by L-NAME.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)