The effects of L-arginine and NG-monomethyl L-arginine on the response of the rat anococcygeus muscle to NANC nerve stimulation. |
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| Authors: | J. S. Gillespie X. R. Liu W. Martin |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Pharmacology, University of Glasgow. |
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| Abstract: | The effect of the competitive inhibitor of L-arginine, NG-monomethyl L-arginine (L-NMMA) on the response of the rat anococcygeus muscle to non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory nerve stimulation has been examined. L-NMMA causes a rise in muscle tone and inhibition of the response to nerve stimulation. The stereoisomer D-NMMA is without effect. The rise in tone and inhibition of the nerve response is reversed by L-arginine. Another analogue, L-canavanine, which is effective against L-arginine utilization in the macrophage, was without effect on the rat anococcygeus. These results provide indirect evidence for nitric oxide (NO) or a substance releasing NO as the transmitter of the NANC nerves in this tissue. |
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