• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.160-165
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• 2019

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Ribes khorasanicum (R. khorasanicum); a plant growing in north Khorasan of Iran; on cardiovascular and stress oxidative in acute hypertension induced by N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), anitric oxide synthase inhibitor. Methods: Rats were divided into Control, L-NAME (10 mg/kg), Sodium Nitroprusside (SNP) (50 mg/kg) + L-NAME and three treated groups with R. khorasanicum (4, 12 and 24 mg/kg) groups + L-NAME. L-NAME and SNP were injected intravenously and extract intraperitoneal. In R. khorasanicum groups, L-NAME was injected 30 min after injection of the extract. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded continuously using power lab software. At the end of study oxidative stress parameters including of total thiol content (SH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in heart and aorta of all groups were also measured. Results: In groups 4 and 24 mg/kg extract +L-NAME, there was a non-significant decrease in SBP and MAP compared to L-NAME group but dose 12 mg/kg significantly attenuate the effect of L-NAME(P < 0.05). In L-NAME group the heart and aorta tissues antioxidant enzymes levels decreased, while in treated rats these enzymes significantly increased. Conclusion: The extract of R. khorasanicum in dose 12 mg/kg show anti-hypertensive effect that is mediated by an effect on NO system or antioxidant parameters.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.339-345
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• 2013

We investigated the antihypertensive effect of lutein on $N^G$-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME)-induced hypertensive rats. Daily oral administration of L-NAME (40 mg/kg)-induced a rapid progressive increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP). L-NAME significantly increased MAP from the first week compared to that in the control and reached $193.3{\pm}9.6$ mmHg at the end of treatment. MAP in the lutein groups was dose-dependently lower than that in the L-NAME group. Similar results were observed for systolic and diastolic blood pressure of L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats. The control group showed little change in heart rate for 3 weeks, whereas L-NAME significantly reduced heart rate from $434{\pm}26$ to $376{\pm}33$ beats/min. Lutein (2 mg/kg) significantly prevented the reduced heart rate induced by L-NAME. L-NAME caused hypertrophy of heart and kidney, and increased plasma lipid peroxidation four-fold but significantly reduced plasma nitrite and glutathione concentrations, which were significantly prevented by lutein in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that lutein affords significant antihypertensive and antioxidant effects against L-NAME-induced hypertension in rats.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.171-176
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• 1999

Background: Effect of nitric oxide on the hyperalgesia induced by inflammation is controversial. From our previous experiment, NOS inhibitor, L-NAME given during the induction period decrease mechanical hyperalgesia occured by Freund's complete adjuvant induced inflammation. In addition, we attempted to analyze the effects of L-NAME on mechanical hyperalgesia after the development of inflammation by Freund's complete adjuvant in rat paw. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups; control (normal saline), and three different doses of L-NAME (0.1 mg, 1 mg, 10 mg). Inflammation was induced in rats by injecting 0.15 ml of Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) intraplantarly. Rats showed typical hyperalgesia within twelve hours after injection and maintained this for about one week. Tests were done 2 days after injection of FCA. After the baseline test either L-NAME or saline was injected under light halothane anesthesia. Effect of L-NAME on hyperalgesia was assessed by measuring mechanical hyperalgesia at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes. Same experients were repeated on normal rats. Results: When injected at the site of inflammation, L-NAME caused dose dependent decrease in mechanical hyperalgesia. However, normal rats also showed increased mechanical threshold after L- NAME injection. Conclusions: Although L-NAME reduces FCA induced mechanical hyperalgesia, this result may solely be due to inhibition of nitric oxide production and need to be further determined.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.194-200
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• 1998

Background: Effect of nitric oxide on the hyperalgesia induced by inflammation is controversial. We attempted to find out the peripheral effects of nitric oxide (NO) on hyperalgesia induced by Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) induced inflammation. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups; control, low dose NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 500 ug), high dose L-NAME (5 mg). Inflammation was induced by injecting 0.1 ml of FCA intraplantarly, which shows typical hyperalgesia within twelve hours after injection and maintained for about one week. Drugs were injected 2 hours before, just before, and 3, 6, 9, 12 hours after the injection of FCA. Effect of L-NAME on hyperalgesia was assessed by measuring mechanical hyperalgesia and spontaneous pain for 3 days. Results: When injected at the site of inflammation, L-NAME caused dose dependent reduction of spontaneous hyperalgesia. Mechanical hyperalgesia was also reduced by high dose L-NAME (p<0.05). After systemic injection of high dose L-NAME in the back, no significant difference was noticed. Conclusions: This suggest that L-NAME reduces FCA induced hyperalgesia via peripheral action.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2010

Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were orally administered with $N^G$-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester(L-NAME) which inhibits or blocks the production of nitric oxide from L-arginine in vascular endothelial cells and vessel tissue to statistically examine the effects of nitric oxide on some physiological changes such as blood pressure and heart rate, and to confirm the apoptosis induced by the suppressed nitric oxide activity in some related organs under light microscope. Systolic blood pressure significantly increased 28.5% by the chronic treatment of L-NAME for 8 weeks (P<0.001), no significant difference, however, was observed in heart rate between the control group and the L-NAME-treated group regardless of their age. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed some histological alterations only in kidney among the examined organs; heart, liver, pancreas, and adrenal gland from the L-NAME-treated group. TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling) test showed a strong positive reaction, representing that the chronic treatment of L-NAME facilitates apoptosis, in the cortex and medulla of kidney, but not any significance detectable in the other organs. These results conclude that chronic treatment of L-NAME significantly increases blood pressure, and that the followed inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis occurs a typical inducement of apoptosis in kidney.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 1998

It has not been clear whether L-arginine plays solely a role contributing to vascular nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. To investigate the mechanisms by which L-arginine induces vasorelaxation, effects of L-arginine on the isometric tension, and tissue NOx and cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP) contents were examined in the isolated rat thoracic aorta. L-Arginine induced a dose-dependent relaxation of aortic rings only with intact endothelium only. The vasorelaxation response to low concentrations of L-arginine was abolished by the pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester(L-NAME, 10-4 mol/L), whereas the relaxation caused by higher concentrations L-arginine(10-5-10-3 mol/L) was maintained and even more pronounced in the presence of L-NAME. L-Arginine did not affect the vascular tension precontracted with KCl. The vascular tissue contents of NOx/cGMP were not significantly affected by L-arginine, while they were decreased by L-NAME. L-Arginine could not completely recover the NOx/cGMP decreased by L-NAME. Methylene blue only partially antagonized the relaxation response to L-arginine. Indomethacin did not affect the L-arginine-induced vasorelaxation, whereas ouabain markedly attenuated the relaxation. It is suggested that L-arginine induces vasorelaxation not only through its contribution to NO synthesis, but also through enhancing another endothelium-dependent mechanism which is NO/cGMP-independent and cyclooxygenase- independent.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.86-93
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• 2004

Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as an important intracellular and intercellular messenger, controlling many physiological processes and participating in the fertilization process via the autocrine and paracrine mechanisms. This study investigated whether nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitior (L-NAME) and L-arginine could regulate in vitro fertilization and early embryonic development in mice. Mouse epididymal spermatozoa, oocytes, and embryos were incubated in mediums of variable conditions with and without L-NAME or L-arginine (0.5, 1, 5 and 10mM). Fertilization rate and early embryonic development were significantly inhibited by treating sperms or oocytes with L-NAME (93.8% vs 66.3%,92.1% vs 60.3%), but not with L-arginine. In contrast, fertilization rate and early embryonic development were conspicuously reduced when L-NAME or L-arginine was added to the culture media for embryos. Early embryonic development was inhibited by microinjection of L-NAME into the fertilized embryosin a dose-dependent manner, but only by high concentrations of L-arginine. These results suggest that a moderate amount of NO production is essential for fertilization and early embryo development in mice.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.142-145
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• 2006

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in the transmission and modulation of nociceptive information at the peripheral, spinal cord and supraspinal levels. We conducted this experiment to assess the antinociceptive effects of a nonselective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), on the modulation of pain in rats subjected to the formalin test. Methods: Formalin 5% was injected in the right hind paw after intraperitoneal (IP) injection of various doses of L-NAME (0.5 mg/kg, 1.5 mg/kg with and without L-arginine 100 mg/kg, 5.0 mg/kg). The number of flinches was measured. Results: Formalin injected into the rat hind paw induced a biphasic nociceptive behavior. IP injected L-NAME diminished the nociceptive behaviors in a dose-dependent manner during phases 1 and 2. The concomitant injection of L-arginine reversed the antinocipetive effect of L-NAME. Conclusions: The data demonstrates that a nonselective NOS inhibitor, L-NAME, possesses antinociceptive properties in rats subjected to the formalin test, and the antinociceptive effect of L-NAME is reversed by the concomitant administration of L-arginine.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.99-104
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• 2000

We investigated the action of NOS inhibitors on NOS in rats. Both of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors, $N^G$-monomethyl-L-arginine $(L-NMMA,\;3\;{\mu}M)$ or $N^G$-nitro-L-arginine methylester $(L-NAME,\;30\;{\mu}M),$ augmented phenylephrine $(PE,\;10^{-7}\;M)-induced$ contraction which was inhibited by acetylcholine (ACh) in rat thoracic aorta. This augmentation by L-NAME or L-NMMA was attenuated with the treatment of NO precursor, arginine. ACh, however, decreased the augmentation induced by L-NMMA, but not by L-NAME. Superoxide dismutase (SOD, 50 u/ml) potentiated an inhibitory effect of ACh on the PE $(10^{-7}\;M)-induced$ contraction. It has been known that platelet activating factor itself induces iNOS. Platelet activating factor $(PAF,\;10^{-7}\;M)$ inhibited PE $(10^{-7}\;M)-induced$ contraction. Pretreatment with L-NMMA (30 mM) or L-NAME (30 mM) significantly blocked the inhibitory action of PAF on PE-induced contraction. L-NMMA (100 mM) or L-NAME (100 mM) reduced nerve conduction velocity (NCV) relevant to nNOS in rat sciatic nerve. ACh attenuated the reduction of NCV by L-NMMA-, but not by L-NAME-induced reduction of NCV. These results suggest that L-NMMA and/or L-NAME have different action on three types of NOS in rats.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.299-304
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• 2001

The effect of the nitric oxide synthase(NOS) inhibitor, $N^{G}$-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), and the prostanoid synthesis inhibitor, indomethacin, on the vasodilatation produced in response to acetylcholine(Ach) on the isolated rabbit renal artery was examined. The vasodilatory reponses to Ach($10^{-8}-3{\times}10^{-5}M$) were completely absent in thevessel which the endothelium had previous been removed. L-NAME($10^{-4}M$) significantly reduced the vasodilatory reponse to the Ach($10^{-8}-3{\times}10^{-5}M$). When L-arginine ($10^{-3}M$) was also present in the organ bath along with L-NAME($10^{-4}M$), this inhibitory effect of L-NAME ($10^{-4}M$) on the vasodilatory response to Ach ($10^{-8}-3{\times}10^{-5}M$) was significantly attenuated, Indomethacin ($10^{-6}M$) did not significantly affect the vasodilatory responses to Ach ($10^{-8}-3{\times}10^{-5}M$). The inhibition by L-NAME ($10^{-4}M$) and indomethacin ($10^{-6}M$) on vasodilatory response to Ach was significantly greater than the inhibition due to L-NAME ($10^{-4}M$) alone. The present study has established that Ach induce relaxation via and endothelium-dependent mechanism, this relaxation to Ach involves both nitric oxide(NO) and prostanoid in the isolated rabbit renal artery.