Gender-dependent Response in Blood Pressure Changes Following the Inhibition of Nitric Oxide Synthase

Yu-Ren Wang ； Chia-Hung Yen ； Ying-Fen Sun ； Ying-Tung Lau

《The Chinese Journal of Physiology》 46卷2期 (2003/06) Pp. 91-94

並列摘要

Many studies employed L-NAME (NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester), an L-arginine antagonist and nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) inhibitor, to produce hypertension experimentally in male animals. It is not known whether females respond similarly. We thus examined the effect of long-term oral administration of L-NAME on body weight (BW), blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR) of both female and male rats. We found that L-NAME induced significant increase in mean BP (MAP) in both genders, however, L-NAME-treated females (F*) exhibited a significantly higher elevation than males (M*) did. This difference persisted for 5 wks and then diminished. L-NAME was thus withdrawn and a rapid decrease of MAP was observed. MAP of F* decreased less and thus remained higher than M* for 5 wks. MAP of control rats (F and M) remained unchanged during the period. Systolic BP (SBP) altered in a similar pattern. We also found that HR decreased immediately after L-NAME administration and that HR of F* was significantly less reduced. These findings indicate that L-NAME induced a more pronounced response in females than males, consistent with the view that females are more dependent on NOS activity for their regulation of BP.

並列關鍵字

hypertension ； nitric oxide ； sexual dimorphism ； L-NAME

參考文獻

Arnal, J.F.,Warin, L.,Michel, J.B.(1992).Determinants of aortic cyclic guanosine monophosphate in hypertension induced by chronic inhibition of nitric oxide synthase.J. Clin. Invest.90,647-652.

Böger, R.H.,Bode-Böger, S.M.,Gerecke, V.,Frölich, J.C.(1994).Long term administration of L-arginine, L-NAME, and the exogenous NO donor molsidomine modulates urinary nitrate and cGMP excretion in rats.Cardiovas. Res.28,494-499.

Chowienczyk, P.,Ritter, J.(2001).Gender differences in vascular function: time to look beyond oestrogen and NO?.Clinical. Sci.100,471-472.

Cooke, J.P.(2000).Does ADMA cause endothelial dysfunction?.Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol.20,2032.

Domimiczak, A.F.,Bohr, D.F.(1995).Nitric oxide and its putative role in hypertension.Hypertension.25,1202-1211.