Detrimental effects of nitric oxide on mesenteric circulation during endotoxaemia and its reversal by aminoguanidine.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of endotoxaemia on rat mesenteric vascular bed and plasma nitrite concentrations, the possible beneficial effect of aminoguanidine (the selective inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) compared with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (non-selective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor).

DESIGN: Randomised experiment.

SETTING: University surgical research laboratory, Turkey.

SUBJECTS: 75 Wistar rats.

INTERVENTIONS: Rats were divided into control (n = 30) and endotoxaemia (n = 42) groups. Endotoxaemia was produced by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide 20 mg/kg. Subgroups were given either aminoguanidine or L-NAME.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: After 4 hours, isolated perfused mesenteric preparations were obtained and pressor responses to phenylephrine and vasodilatation responses to acetylcholine were evaluated, and plasma nitrite concentrations measured.

RESULTS: Pressor response to phenylephrine did not alter but vasodilatation in response to acetylcholine was significantly reduced during endotoxaemia. Pretreatment with aminoguanidine prevented the impairment of the response to acetylcholine. However, L-NAME was ineffective. In the control group, aminoguanidine and L-NAME did not alter the vascular reactivity. The baseline plasma nitrite concentrations in the control group were increased 5-fold during endotoxaemia. This increase was significantly reduced with aminoguanidine but not with L-NAME.

CONCLUSION: The protection achieved by aminoguanidine but not L-NAME suggested that nitric oxide produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase had a role in the impairment of endothelial response during endotoxaemia, and confirmed the importance of selective inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibition to achieve beneficial effects in endotoxaemia.