Volatile anesthetics do not alter bradykinin-induced release of nitric oxide or L-citrulline in crystalloid perfused guinea pig hearts.

BACKGROUND

Nitric oxide (NO) and L-citrulline (L-cit) are released by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) to induce vasodilation via guanylyl cyclase and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Volatile anesthetics directly reduce vascular muscle tone, but their effects on the eNOS cGMP pathway is controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of anesthetics on bradykinin-induced increases in flow, NO, and L-cit in isolated hearts.

METHODS

Guinea pig hearts were isolated, perfused at 55 mmHg with a crystalloid or erythrocyte perfusate at 37 degrees C, and heart rate, left ventricular pressure, coronary flow (CF), effluent pH, and oxygen tension were monitored. Effluent [NO] was measured by a Clark-type electrode (sensitivity > or = 1 nM = 3 pA) with a selectively permeable membrane. Effluent [L-cit] was measured by chromatography. Before, during, and after exposure to halothane, isoflurane, or sevoflurane, hearts were infused with as much as 100 nM bradykinin to induce increases in CF and effluent release of NO and L-cit.

RESULTS

In crystalloid-perfused hearts, 10 nm bradykinin produced maximal concentration-dependent increases in CF (87+/-2%), [NO] (24+/-4 nM), NO release (128+/-18 pmol x g(-1) x min(-1)), and [L-cit] (58+/-8 nM). Isoflurane slightly increased CF but not NO. Anesthetics did not alter the bradykinin-induced CF, NO slope relationship, or change [L-cit]. In erythrocyte-perfused hearts, isoflurane also did not alter the bradykinin-induced increase in CF and decrease in percentage of oxygen extracted.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to simultaneously measure CF with bradykinin-induced changes in [NO] and [L-cit] in the presence of halothane, isoflurane, and sevoflurane in intact hearts. The study shows for the first time that volatile anesthetics do not alter the CF to NO relationship and suggests that NO production, NO release, and NO vasodilatory effects mediated by the eNOS cGMP pathway are not significantly affected by anesthetics in crystalloid or erythrocyte-perfused guinea pig hearts.