nitroarginine and Arrhythmias--Cardiac

1. The overall aim of this study was to determine if adrenomedullin (AM) protects against myocardial ischaemia (MI)-induced arrhythmias via nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite. 2. In sham-operated rats, the effects of in vivo administration of a bolus dose of AM (1 nmol kg-1) was assessed on arterial blood pressure (BP), ex vivo leukocyte reactive oxygen species generation and nitrotyrosine deposition (a marker for peroxynitrite formation) in the coronary endothelium. 3. In pentobarbitone-anaesthetized rats subjected to ligation of the left main coronary artery for 30 min, the effects of a bolus dose of AM (1 nmol kg-1, i.v.; n=19) or saline (n=18) given 5 min pre-occlusion were assessed on the number and incidence of cardiac arrhythmias. In a further series of experiments, some animals received infusions of the NO synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (LNNA) (0.5 mg kg-1 min-1) or the peroxynitrite scavenger N-mercaptopropionyl-glycine (MPG) (20 mg kg-1 h-1) before AM. 4. AM treatment significantly reduced mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and increased ex vivo chemiluminescence (CL) generation from leukocytes in sham-operated animals. AM also enhanced the staining for nitrotyrosine in the endothelium of coronary arteries. 5. AM significantly reduced the number of total ventricular ectopic beats that occurred during ischaemia (from 1185+/-101 to 520+/-74; P<0.05) and the incidences of ventricular fibrillation (from 61 to 26%; P<0.05). AM also induced a significant fall in MABP prior to occlusion. AM-induced cardioprotection was abrogated in animals treated with the NO synthase inhibitor LNNA and the peroxynitrite scavenger MPG. 6. This study has shown that AM exhibits an antiarrhythmic effect through a mechanism that may involve generation of NO and peroxynitrite.

Topics: Adrenomedullin; Anesthesia; Animals; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Coronary Disease; Coronary Vessels; Glycine; Male; Myocardial Ischemia; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitroarginine; Peroxynitrous Acid; Placebos; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sulfhydryl Compounds

As differentiated from Wistar rats, myocardial ischemia and reperfusion produce no ventricular fibrillation in August rats. Pretreatment with nitric oxide synthase inhibitor Nw-nitro-L-arginine increased mortality rate in August rats with acute myocardial infarction from 20 to 40%. Under these conditions mortality rate in Wistar rats increased from 50 to 71%. Interstrain differences in the resistance of these animals to the arrhythmogenic effect of ischemia are probably associated with higher activity of the nitric oxide system in August rats compared to Wistar rats.

Topics: Animals; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Enzyme Inhibitors; Male; Myocardial Ischemia; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitroarginine; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Rats, Wistar; Species Specificity

Postoperative hypomagnesemia is common in patients who have undergone cardiac operations and is associated with clinically significant morbidity resulting from atrial and ventricular dysrhythmias. Magnesium supplementation may increase the cardiac index in the early postoperative period.. The action of the magnesium cation on coronary vascular reactivity was studied. Segments of canine epicardial coronary artery were suspended in organ chambers to measure isometric force (95% O2/5% CO2, 37 degrees C).. In coronary segments constricted with prostaglandin F2alpha (2 x 10[-6] mol/L), acetylcholine and adenosine diphosphate (10[-9] to 10[-4] mol/L) induced vasodilation in arteries with endothelium (n=10, each group; p < 0.05). Acetylcholine-mediated vasodilation was blocked by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (10[-4] mol/L) and NG-nitro-L-arginine (10[-4] mol/L), two inhibitors of nitric oxide synthesis from L-arginine (n=10, p < 0.05). The removal of magnesium from the organ chamber solution impaired vasodilation in response to acetylcholine and adenosine diphosphate. However, normal endothelium-dependent vasodilation could be restored by return of magnesium to the bathing solution. Vascular relaxation in response to bradykinin (10[-9] to 10[-6] mol/L), which was found to induce endothelium-dependent vasodilation independent of nitric oxide production, was unaffected by magnesium removal (n=10).. Hypomagnesemia selectively impaired the release of nitric oxide from the coronary endothelium. Because nitric oxide is a potent endogenous nitro-vasodilator and inhibitor of platelet aggregation and adhesion, hypomagnesemia could promote vasoconstriction and coronary thrombosis in the early postoperative period.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Adenosine Diphosphate; Animals; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Bradykinin; Cardiac Output; Cardiac Surgical Procedures; Coronary Thrombosis; Coronary Vessels; Dinoprost; Dogs; Endothelium, Vascular; Enzyme Inhibitors; Female; Infusions, Intravenous; Magnesium; Male; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitroarginine; omega-N-Methylarginine; Pericardium; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Postoperative Complications; Vasoconstriction; Vasoconstrictor Agents; Vasodilation; Vasodilator Agents

It has been postulated that nitric oxide (NO) can react with superoxide anion (.O2-) to generate hydroxyl (.OH) radical. If this is correct, inhibition of NO synthesis could attenuate .OH radical mediated ischemia/reperfusion injury. Therefore we studied the effects of NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), a competitive inhibitor of the NO synthase enzyme on ischemia/reperfusion injury injury in isolated perfused rat hearts. Three groups of rats (n = 12-15) were studied. Group I: Untreated ischemia/reperfusion control (37.5 min of global ischemia followed by 20 min reperfusion); Group II: ischemia/reperfusion with 25 microM NG-nitro-L-arginine; and Group III: ischemia/reperfusion in the presence of L-NNA and 2 mM L-arginine, the substrate for NO synthase. Coronary flow (in ml/min) and ventricular developed pressure, +dP/dt and -dP/dt were measured 5 min prior to ischemia and at the end of reperfusion. Baseline preischemic developed pressure was significantly lower in L-NNA perfused hearts than controls (76.8 +/- 5.9 v 97.6 +/- 2.9 mmHg, P < 0.05). However, the developed pressure following reperfusion was significantly greater in L-NNA perfused hearts (57.4 +/- 7.4 v 20.8 +/- 6.4 mmHg in control). This protective effect was reversed by the addition of L-arginine. Preischemic coronary flow was decreased significantly in the L-NNA group (6.4 +/- 0.5 ml/min) compared to controls (11.6 +/- 0.7 ml/min). The duration of sinus rhythm was significantly improved from 3.8 +/- 1.2 min in controls to 15.1 +/- 0.8 min in L-NNA perfused hearts. A corresponding significantly lower incidence of arrhythmias was observed (10.2 +/- 1.5 in ischemia/reperfusion group v 1.7 +/- 0.8 min with L-NNA).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Arginine; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Coronary Circulation; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; Heart; Hydroxyl Radical; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Myocardial Ischemia; Myocardial Reperfusion; Nitric Oxide; Nitroarginine; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Superoxides; Time Factors; Ventricular Function, Left