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  • Title: NO synthase inhibition modulates NMDA-induced changes in cerebral blood flow and EEG activity.
    Author: Pelligrino DA, Gay RL, Baughman VL, Wang Q.
    Journal: Am J Physiol; 1996 Sep; 271(3 Pt 2):H990-5. PubMed ID: 8853333.
    Abstract:
    The effects of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition on the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and electroencephalographic (EEG) changes accompanying intravenous administration of the excitatory amino acid receptor agonist, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), were examined in anesthetized rats. Two NOS inhibition strategies were used: chronic N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) administration (100 mg.kg-1.day-1 ip, over 4 days) and acute L-NNA administration (100 mg/kg iv infused over 1 h). In both cases, cortical CBF was continuously monitored on study days using laser-Doppler flowmetry, and EEG was recorded, along with measurements of total EEG power. In all rats, the NMDA was given as a 1-min intravenous infusion (20 mg/kg). During all experiments, arterial pressure was controlled within the autoregulatory range. We compared the results from rats treated chronically with L-NNA or its enantiomer. N omega-nitro-D-arginine. In the acute treatment group, two NMDA infusions were given, separated by 90 min, interposed by a 1-h L-NNA infusion. Control rats received saline in place of the L-NNA. Both L-NNA treatment protocols significantly increased the duration of NMDA-induced alterations in EEG activity, relative to controls. NMDA induced a transient 40-100% increase in cortical CBF that was blocked by acute but not chronic L-NNA administration. These results indicate that 1) under normal circumstances nitric oxide is the principal mediator of NMDA-induced cerebrovasodilation; 2) with chronic NOS inhibition, NMDA-induced vasodilation returns to normal, implying replacement of nitric oxide by other factors; and 3) nitric oxide acts as a negative feedback modulator of NMDA-induced changes in brain activity.
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