Anesthetic concentrations of riluzole inhibit neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity, but not expression, in the rat hippocampus

Brain Res. 2000 Oct 27;881(2):237-40. doi: 10.1016/s0006-8993(00)02820-1.

Abstract

We hypothesized that anesthetic dose of riluzole, an inhibitor of glutamate neurotransmission, may affect the activity and/or expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS). Riluzole, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME) and 7-nitro indazole (7-NI) produced a concentration-related inhibition of nNOS activity in vitro. Riluzole competed with 7-NI for inhibition of nNOS activity, but had no effect on nNOS or endothelial NOS (eNOS) protein expression. Also, nNOS activity was significantly decreased in riluzole-anesthetized rats (40 mg kg(-1) i.p., -32+/-6% from controls, P<0.05). Therefore, blockade of nNOS activity may be involved in the anesthetic effects of riluzole in vivo.

MeSH terms

  • Actins / drug effects
  • Actins / metabolism
  • Anesthetics / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Hippocampus / drug effects*
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Indazoles / pharmacology
  • Male
  • NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / pharmacology
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / drug effects*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / metabolism
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Riluzole / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Actins
  • Anesthetics
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Indazoles
  • Riluzole
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III
  • Nos1 protein, rat
  • Nos3 protein, rat
  • 7-nitroindazole
  • NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester