LONG-TERM ORAL-ADMINISTRATION OF L-ARGININE ENHANCES ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASORELAXATION AND INHIBITS NEOINTIMAL THICKENING AFTER ENDOTHELIAL DENUDATION IN RATS
Zj. Wu et al., LONG-TERM ORAL-ADMINISTRATION OF L-ARGININE ENHANCES ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASORELAXATION AND INHIBITS NEOINTIMAL THICKENING AFTER ENDOTHELIAL DENUDATION IN RATS, Chinese medical journal, 109(8), 1996, pp. 592-598
Objective. To further prove the hypothesis that local decrease of nitr
ic oxide (NO) synthesis and/or its activity might be critically import
ant in the disturbance of vascular homeostasis after vascular injuries
. Methods. Intimal thickening model induced by air-drying denudation o
f rat right common carotid artery was performed to evaluate the effect
s of long-term oral administration of L-arginine on neointimal thicken
ing and acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation (ED
R) by histomorphometric and functional studies. Results, Reductions in
EDR function persisted and simultaneously developed prominent neointi
mal thickening by 14 days after denudation. Long-term oral supplementa
tion of L-arginine (1 g/kg/day) significantly enhanced EDR from 43.5%/- 12..35% to 68.8%+/- 9.0% (n=10, P<0.001) and reduced neointimal thi
ckening from 62.45 mu m +/- 11.26 mu m to 21.45 mu m +/- 6.34 mu m (n
= 10, p<0.001) as compared with each control animals. Conclusions, Thi
s study shows that oral administration of L-arginine significantly inh
ibits neointimal thickening and preserves NO-mediated EDR in experimen
tal endothelial denudation, suggesting an important role for L-arginin
e, NO pathway in the regulation of vascular homeostasis after endothel
ial injury which might bt: salutary in prevention restenosis after cor
onary angioplasty.