Nitric oxide-dependent and -independent components of cerebrovasodilation elicited by hypercapnia.

Abstract

We studied the effect of nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, on the increases in cerebral blood flow (CBF) elicited by stepwise elevations in arterial partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2) from normocapnia up to 204 mmHg. Rats were anesthetized with halothane and ventilated. CBF was monitored over the parietal cortex using a laser-Doppler flowmeter. Increasing levels of hypercapnia elicited graded elevations in CBF that reached a plateau at PaCO2 = 82 +/- 1 mmHg (CBF +215 +/- 25%; n = 8; P < 0.05, analysis of variance). L-NAME (40 mg/kg i.v.; n = 8), but not nitro-D-arginine methyl ester (n = 8), reduced resting CBF (-42 +/- 4%) and attenuated the increase in CBF elicited by hypercapnia. The attenuation occurred only at PaCO2 40-80 mmHg and was maximal (-75 +/- 8%; P < 0.05) at 54 +/- 2 mmHg. At PaCO2 > or = 100 mmHg, L-NAME (40-80 mg/kg) did not attenuate the response (P > 0.05). Reduction of resting CBF (-50 +/- 4%; n = 6) by administration of chloralose (20-40 mg/kg i.v.) did not attenuate the CBF response to hypercapnia (P > 0.05). We also found that the attenuation by L-NAME of resting CBF (n = 5) and of the cerebrovasodilation elicited by hypercapnia (n = 6) has a relatively slow time course, the effects reaching a maximum 45-60 min after intravenous administration of the drug. We conclude that L-NAME does not attenuate the CBF response to CO2 uniformly at all levels of hypercapnia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

• Authors: C Iadecola, F Zhang
• Journal: The American journal of physiology (Am J Physiol) Vol. 266 Issue 2 Pt 2 Pg. R546-52 (Feb 1994) ISSN: 0002-9513 [Print] United States
• PMID: 7511352 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Carbon Dioxide
• Chloralose
• Nitric Oxide
• Arginine
• Nitric Oxide Synthase
• Amino Acid Oxidoreductases
• Oxygen
• NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester

Topics

• Amino Acid Oxidoreductases (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Animals
• Arginine (analogs & derivatives, pharmacology)
• Blood Pressure (drug effects)
• Carbon Dioxide (blood)
• Cerebrovascular Circulation (drug effects, physiology)
• Chloralose (pharmacology)
• Hypercapnia (physiopathology)
• Kinetics
• Male
• NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester
• Nitric Oxide (physiology)
• Nitric Oxide Synthase
• Oxygen (blood)
• Partial Pressure
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Vascular Resistance (drug effects, physiology)
• Vasodilation (drug effects, physiology)