Interference of L-arginine analogues with L-arginine transport mediated by the y+ carrier hCAT-2B.

The inducible human cationic amino acid transporter hCAT-2B was expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and this system was used to test the effect of several NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors and/or L-arginine analogues on L-arginine transport by this y+ carrier. L-NG-Methyl-L-arginine (L-NMA), asymmetrical L-NG, NG-dimethyl-L-arginine (L-ADMA), L-N5-(1-iminoethyl)-ornithine (L-NIO), L-NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), and L-NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) all inhibited the inducible NOS II extracted from RAW 264.7 macrophages induced with bacterial lipopolysaccharide. L-NMA, L-ADMA, and L-NIO also competed with L-arginine for transport by hCAT-2B, whereas L-NNA and L-NAME did not. The two L-…