Search results for "arginine"
showing 10 items of 389 documents
Glucagon-like peptide-2 relaxes mouse stomach through vasoactive intestinal peptide release.
2009
Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) influences different aspects of the gastrointestinal function, including epithelial growth, digestion, absorption, motility, and blood flow. Intraluminal pressure from isolated mouse stomach was recorded to investigate whether GLP-2 affects gastric tone and to analyze its mechanism of action. Regional differences between diverse parts of the stomach were also examined using circular muscular strips from fundus and antrum. In the whole stomach, GLP-2 (0.3–100 nM) produced concentration-dependent relaxation with a maximum that was about 75% of relaxation to 1 μM isoproterenol (IC50 = 2.5 nM). This effect was virtually abolished by desensitization of GLP-2 rece…
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: What's New in Medical Treatment?
2018
Abstract Context Pharmacological treatment is a cornerstone in the management of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Objective To review emerging evidence in the medical treatment of LUTS. Evidence acquisition An Embase/Pubmed-based literature search was conducted in December 2017, screening for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), prospective and retrospective series, animal model studies, and reviews on medical treatment of LUTS. Evidence synthesis The main medical innovation in recent years in overactive bladder (OAB) has been the approval of the first β 3 -adrenoceptor agonists (mirabegron) and intradetrusor onabotulinum toxin A, while several other drugs such as antiepil…
Experimental diabetes induces hyperreactivity of rabbit renal artery to 5-hydroxytryptamine.
2002
Abstract The influence of diabetes on the response of isolated rabbit renal arteries to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) was examined. 5-HT induced a concentration-related contraction that was higher in arteries from diabetic rabbits than in arteries from control rabbits. Endothelium removal did not significantly modify 5-HT contractions in arteries from control rabbits but enhanced the response to 5-HT in arteries from diabetic rabbits. Incubation with N G -nitro- l -arginine ( l -NA) enhanced contractions to 5-HT in arteries from control and diabetic rabbits. In arteries with endothelium, this l -NA enhancement was lower in diabetic rabbits than in control rabbits. In arteries without endotheli…
Decreased plasma soluble RAGE in patients with hypercholesterolemia: Effects of statins
2007
The receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) is overexpressed at sites of vascular pathology. A soluble RAGE isoform (sRAGE) neutralizes the ligand-mediated damage by acting as a decoy. We hypothesized that in hypercholesterolemia up-regulation of the ligand-RAGE axis may bridge impairment of nitric oxide biosynthesis with oxidative stress. We measured in 60 hypercholesterolemic patients and 20 controls plasma total sRAGE levels, urinary 8-iso-prostaglandin (PG) F(2alpha) excretion, and plasma levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). The effects of two structurally different statins (pravastatin and atorvastatin) on these parameters were analyzed in 20 hypercholesterolemic su…
Biphasic 24-Hour Variations in Cyclic GMP Accumulation in the Rat Pineal Gland Are Due to Corresponding Changes in the Activity of Cytosolic and Part…
2006
Various parameters of the rat pineal gland display a 24-h rhythm. However, nothing is known about possible 24-h variations in cyclic GMP (cGMP) metabolism. In the present study, 24-h variations in pineal gland cGMP accumulation were investigated by determining the increase in cGMP level with and without inhibitors of phosphodiesterase at different time points over a light/dark cycle (12/12 h). Furthermore, the activity of guanylate cyclase (GC) was determined under substrate-saturated conditions regarding the cytosolic and particulate forms of the enzyme. It has been found that cGMP accumulation and GC activity display biphasic 24-h variations with two peaks--one approximately 7 h after lig…
The relation between the incidence of hypernatremia and mortality in patients with severe traumatic brain injury
2009
Introduction The study was aimed at verifying whether the occurrence of hypernatremia during the intensive care unit (ICU) stay increases the risk of death in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). We performed a retrospective study on a prospectively collected database including all patients consecutively admitted over a 3-year period with a diagnosis of TBI (post-resuscitation Glasgow Coma Score ≤ 8) to a general/neurotrauma ICU of a university hospital, providing critical care services in a catchment area of about 1,200,000 inhabitants. Methods Demographic, clinical, and ICU laboratory data were prospectively collected; serum sodium was assessed an average of three times per …
Acute relaxant effects of 17-beta-estradiol through non-genomic mechanisms in rabbit carotid artery.
2002
Estrogens could play a cardiovascular protective role not only by means of systemic effects but also by means of direct effects on vascular structure and function. We have studied the acute effects and mechanisms of action of 17-beta-estradiol on vascular tone of rabbit isolated carotid artery. 17-Beta-estradiol (10, 30, and 100 microM) elicited concentration-dependent relaxation of 50 mM KCl-induced active tone in male and female rabbit carotid artery. The stereoisomer 17-alpha-estradiol showed lesser relaxant effects in male rabbits. Endothelium removal did not modify relaxation induced by 17-beta-estradiol. The NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME (100 microM) only reduced significantly relaxati…
Increased responsiveness of human pulmonary arteries in patients with positive bronchodilator response.
1996
Abstract 1. The effects of noradrenaline, endothelin-1, acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside were studied in isolated pulmonary arteries obtained from 14 patients undergoing lobectomy for lung carcinoma. Seven patients had shown increased response to a bronchodilator test prior to operation. In the remaining patients (control) the bronchodilator test was negative. 2. Artery rings from patients with a positive bronchodilator response showed greater contraction to noradrenaline (pD2 = 6.44 +/- 0.1; Emax = 93 +/- 9% of response to 100 mM KCl) and endothelin-1 (pD2 = 8.92 +/- 0.1; Emax = 130 +/- 16%) than the rings from control patients (pD2 = 6.04 +/- 0.08; Emax = 56 +/- 8% for noradrenaline…
Nitric oxide-mediated beta 2-adrenoceptor relaxation is impaired in mesenteric veins from portal-hypertensive rats.
1996
Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: beta-Adrenergic relaxation seems to be mediated by nitric oxide. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes induced by portal hypertension in beta 2-adrenergic vasorelaxation. METHODS: Isolated rat mesenteric veins were relaxed by salbutamol, and nerve- mediated vasocontractions were induced by electrical field stimulation. Responses were evaluated in the presence of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or tetrodotoxin. Immunocytochemical techniques were used for localization of neuronal NO synthase. RESULTS: Salbutamol-induced relaxations were decreased in rings from portal-hypertensive animals. L- NAME reduced these relaxations, but its effects were mor…
Role of nitric oxide in pheromone-mediated intraspecific communication in mice
2009
Nitric oxide is known to take part in the control of sexual and agonistic behaviours. This is usually attributed to its role in neural transmission in the hypothalamus and other structures of the limbic system. However, socio-sexual behaviours in rodents are mainly directed by chemical signals detected by the vomeronasal system, and nitric oxide is abundant in key structures along the vomeronasal pathway. Thus, here we check whether pharmacological treatments interfering with nitrergic transmission could affect socio-sexual behaviour by impairing the processing of chemical signals. Treatment with an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis (Nomega-Nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, L-N…