Effects of chronic treatment with nitric oxide synthase inhibitors on regional haemodynamic responses to vasodilators in conscious Brattleboro rats.

1. The effects of acute inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthase on cardiovascular responses to vasodilator challenges have already been described. We now report the responses to vasodilators during and after chronic NO synthase inhibition. 2. In conscious Brattleboro rats, the regional haemodynamic effects of 3 min infusions of acetylcholine (4 micrograms min-1), sodium nitroprusside (15 micrograms min-1) or adrenaline (0.2 micrograms min-1) were assessed (from areas under or over curves (AUC, AOC)) under control conditions, 6 and 72 h after the addition of the NO synthase inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) to the drinking water (1 mg ml-1), and 6, 24 and 48 h after the withdrawal of L-NMMA. In a separate group of Brattleboro rats, responses to acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside and adrenaline were assessed before and 6 h after the onset of oral ingestion of the more potent nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 0.05 mg ml-1). 3. Acetylcholine caused renal vasodilation (87 +/- 11 units) and mesenteric vasoconstriction (-31 +/- 5 units), sodium nitroprusside caused vasodilatation in renal (96 +/- 12 units), mesenteric (222 +/- 13 units) and hindquarters (49 +/- 15 units) vascular beds, whereas adrenaline caused hindquarters vasodilatation (92 +/- 8 units). Seventy two h after the onset of oral ingestion of L-NMMA, acetylcholine had a decreased renal vasodilator (59 +/- 9 units) effect, sodium nitroprusside had an increased renal vasodilator (142 +/- 23 units) action, while adrenaline had a decreased hindquarters vasodilator (55 +/- 6 units) influence. Twenty four h after withdrawal of L-NMMA, the renal vasodilator effect of acetylcholine was greater than the control response (106 +/- 14 units), but the regional haemodynamic effects of sodium nitroprusside and adrenaline were not different from those under control conditions. Hence, the increased renal vasodilator response to acetylcholine was probably due to changes in muscarinic receptor-mediated mechanisms rather than to any increase in guanylyl cyclase or its sensitivity to NO.