Preservation of neurological functions by nitric oxide synthase inhibitors in conscious rats following delayed hemorrhagic shock

Life Sci. 2004 Dec 24;76(6):661-70. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2004.07.015.

Abstract

Excessive production of nitric oxide (NO) as result of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of hemorrhagic shock. Our aim was to study the effects of NOS inhibitors, aminoguanidine (AG) and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), on survival rate, mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), temporal evolution of infarct volume, nitric oxide (NO) production and neurological deficit in a model of delayed hemorrhagic shock (DHS) in conscious rats. Our results showed that the NOS inhibitors significantly improved survival rate, MABP, and attenuated brain NO overproduction 24, 48 h and 72 h after DHS. AG reduced brain infarct volume and improved the neurological performance evaluated by the rotameric and grip strength tests while L-NAME did not show protective effect in rats following DHS. These findings suggest that NO formation via iNOS activation may contribute to organ damage and that the selective iNOS inhibitor, AG, may be of interest as a therapeutic agent for neurological recovery following DHS.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Pressure / drug effects
  • Brain Chemistry / drug effects
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiology
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Guanidines / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / therapeutic use
  • Nervous System / pathology
  • Nervous System / physiopathology*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / metabolism
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
  • Nitrites / metabolism
  • Postural Balance / drug effects
  • Postural Balance / physiology
  • Psychomotor Performance / drug effects
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Shock, Hemorrhagic / drug therapy*
  • Shock, Hemorrhagic / pathology
  • Shock, Hemorrhagic / physiopathology*
  • Survival Analysis
  • Tetrazolium Salts / pharmacology

Substances

  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Guanidines
  • Nitrites
  • Tetrazolium Salts
  • triphenyltetrazolium
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
  • Nos2 protein, rat
  • pimagedine
  • NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester