Oral administration of inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitors reduces nitric oxide synthesis but has no effect on the severity of experimental colitis
Am. Armstrong et al., Oral administration of inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitors reduces nitric oxide synthesis but has no effect on the severity of experimental colitis, SC J GASTR, 35(8), 2000, pp. 832-838
Background: Increased concentrations of nitrate and nitrite (the breakdown
products of nitric oxide) in the serum and faeces of patients with inflamma
tory bowel disease (IBD) suggests that increased synthesis of nitric oxide
occurs in IBD. The aim of this study was to assess aminoguanidine (AMG), a
selective inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase, with regard to its
effectiveness as a nitric oxide inhibitor and as a modulator of inflammatio
n in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis. Materials and Me
thods: Colitis was induced in Wistar rats. Selective (AMG) and non-selectiv
e (1-nitroso-arginine methyl ester (1-NAME)) inhibitors of nitric oxide syn
thase were given in the drinking water. Colonic citrulline and arginine con
centrations were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The
severity of colitis was assessed by a macroscopic scoring system. Results:
Both 1-NAME and AMG successfully reduced nitric oxide synthesis. There was
no evidence of substrate depletion in the colonic wall. Neither of the age
nts reduced the severity of colonic inflammation. Conclusions: Oral adminis
tration of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors reduced nitric oxide synthesis
in the colonic wall. This study does not provide evidence to support a role
for nitric oxide in the pathogenesis of colonic inflammation in TNBS colit
is.