Ei. Miyachi et C. Nishikawa, BLOCKING EFFECT OF L-ARGININE ON RETINAL GAP-JUNCTIONS BY ACTIVATING GUANYLATE-CYCLASE VIA GENERATION OF NITRIC-OXIDE, Biogenic amines, 10(5), 1994, pp. 459-464
Intracellular application of L-arginine, the precursor of nitric oxide
(NO), for horizontal cells of the carp retina blocked dye-coupling of
Lucifer Yellow CH among horizontal cells. Injection of NO synthase in
hibitor, N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine or N(G)-nitro-L-arginine, into hor
izontal cells suppressed the effects of L-arginine on the cells. Injec
tion of guanylate cyclase inhibitor, methylene blue or cystamine, also
suppressed the effects of L-arginine. These results suggest that NO,
converted from L-arginine by NO synthase, blocked gap junctions betwee
n horizontal cells by activating soluble guanylate cyclase to increase
cyclic GMP.