Transport of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors through cationic amino acid carriers in human erythrocytes.

The interaction of arginine analogues, which are known to inhibit nitric oxide synthase, with two cationic amino acid transporters of human erythrocytes (systems y+ and y+L) was studied. Arginine and relevant analogues [NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA); NG-monomethyl-D-arginine (D-NMMA) and NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG)] were found to inhibit labeled lysine influx into intact erythrocytes. As expected, the pattern of inhibition reflected the contribution of the two distinct transport systems. All analogues showed a higher affinity for system y+L than for system y+. The half-saturation (inhibition) constants estimated for systems y+ and y+L (+/- SEM) were (microM): L-arginine, 55.7 +/- 5.4 and 2.4 +/- 0.1; L-NMMA, 151 +/- 13 and 7.5 +/- 0.5; D-NMMA, 2660 +/- 404 and 269 +/- 25; L-NOARG, 9414 +/- 169 and 594 +/- 35. The transport properties of the analogues were investigated using an assay based on the trans-stimulation of lysine efflux. The addition of saturating concentrations of unlabeled analogues to the external medium stimulated efflux of labeled lysine through systems y+L and y+, showing that the analogues can enter the cell through these pathways.