L-arginine Reduces Blood Pressure and Improves Vascular Endothelial Function in Nitric Oxide-Deficient Hypertensive Rats
Keywords:
L-arginine; hypertension; oxidative stress; NO bioavailabilityAbstract
Background and Objectives: L-arginine is the substrate for vascular nitric oxide (NO) formation. It has antihypertensive, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. This study was to investigate the effect of L-arginine on blood pressure and vascular endothelial function in Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME)-induced hypertensive rats.
Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered with L-NAME (40 mg/kg/day) in drinking water for 5 weeks in order to induce hypertension. Hypertensive rats were treated with L-arginine (100 mg/kg/day) or vehicle for the last 2 weeks. Systolic blood pressure was measured weekly. Vascular endothelial function test, plasma NO metabolite (NOx), and vascular superoxide (O2•−) production were evaluated.
Results: Rats treated with L-NAME had high blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction associated with decreased plasma NOx level and increased vascular O2•− production comparing to control (p<0.05). L-arginine significantly reduced blood pressure, and improved vascular endothelial function in L-NAME-treated rats (p<0.05). Moreover, L-arginine enhanced nitric oxide bioavailability by restoring plasma NOx level and reducing O2•− production in hypertensive rats (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Our results indicated that L-arginine decreased blood pressure and alleviated vascular endothelial dysfunction in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats. This was associated with increasing in NO bioavailability.
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