Topical spinal administration of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor prevents the hyper-reflexia associated with a rat model of persistent visceral pain.

The effects of a neuronal selective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, L-Ng-nitro arginine p-nitroanilide (L-Napna), upon the hyper-reflexia of a rat model of persistent visceral pain was investigated. A baseline cystometrogram (CMG) was performed by measuring intravesical pressure during vesical inflation. L-Napna (125-1000 micrograms) or vehicle (control) was then administered topically onto the exposed spinal cord, followed by another CMG. The bladder was then inflamed with turpentine and a final CMG performed. Neither L-Napna nor vehicle affected vesical reflexes in the absence of inflammation. However, following inflammation, a vesical hyper-reflexia was demonstrated in the control animals, which was prevented by L-Napna. Therefore, spinal NOS does not have a role in the generation of normal bladder reflexes, however it does modulate them during vesical inflammation.