Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
5
pubmed:dateCreated
1995-9-5
pubmed:abstractText
We investigated the effect of dietary supplementation of L-arginine (L-Arg), the precursor of endothelial nitric oxide (NO), on endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vascular responses, as well as vascular structure, in the abdominal aorta of hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Rabbits were fed (a) normal rabbit chow, (b) 1% cholesterol diet, or (c) 1% cholesterol diet supplemented with 2.25% L-Arg HCl in drinking water. After 10 weeks, the abdominal aorta was harvested for study of vascular reactivity and histomorphometry. L-Arg did not affect serum cholesterol levels. Histomorphometric analysis demonstrated an eightfold reduction in intimal thickening in the abdominal aorta of the arginine-supplemented hypercholesterolemic rabbits. By contrast, the effects on vascular reactivity were subtle. Contraction to norepinephrine (NE) was not altered by hypercholesterolemia or L-Arg. Contraction to acetylcholine (ACh) was increased in hypercholesterolemic animals; this was normalized by dietary arginine supplementation. Relaxation to nitroglycerin (NTG) was not altered by hypercholesterolemia but was attenuated in the arginine-supplemented rabbits. Endothelium-dependent relaxation to ACh was impaired in both hypercholesterolemic groups. Dietary L-Arg has a dramatic antiatherogenic effect in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. This effect is associated with rather slight changes in vascular reactivity that are suggestive of a slight increase in NO elaboration by the endothelium. The discordance between the effects of dietary arginine on vascular structure and reactivity suggests that the antiatherogenic effects of the NO precursor may not be mediated entirely by its effect on the endothelium.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
0160-2446
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
25
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
710-6
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Acetylcholine, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Analysis of Variance, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Animals, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Aorta, Abdominal, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Arginine, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Cholesterol, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Cholesterol, Dietary, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Disease Models, Animal, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Endothelium, Vascular, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Hypercholesterolemia, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Male, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Muscle, Smooth, Vascular, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Muscle Contraction, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Muscle Relaxation, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Nitroglycerin, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Norepinephrine, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Rabbits, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Random Allocation, pubmed-meshheading:7630149-Stereoisomerism
pubmed:year
1995
pubmed:articleTitle
Discordant effects of dietary L-arginine on vascular structure and reactivity in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.
pubmed:affiliation
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305-5246, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't