Inhibition of islet nitric oxide synthase increases arginine-induced insulin release.

NG-Nitro-L-arginine, an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, markedly (+50%) increased the L-arginine-induced insulin release from isolated mouse islets but did not itself influence insulin secretion. An abundance of mouse islet cells were positively stained for the enzyme NADPH diaphorase, which reportedly is a marker for NO synthase. The data suggest that the NO synthase activity in mouse islet tissue may inhibit insulin secreting processes and that L-arginine has a dual action on insulin release.