Ld. Mccarthy et al., ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION PRODUCED BY THE L-ARGININE NITRIC-OXIDE PATHWAY IN NORMAL AND ISCHEMIC BONE, Acta orthopaedica Scandinavica, 68(4), 1997, pp. 361-368
We used an experimental model of the perfused isolated rabbit tibia to
investigate the vasodilatation produced by nitric oxide in the circul
ation of bone. Tibiae were perfused at a constant flow rate while the
perfusion pressure was monitored continuously. Perfusion pressure was
raised by the addition of noradrenaline to the perfusate, and dose res
ponses were measured for bolus doses of acetylcholine and sodium nitro
prusside. N-omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor
of nitric oxide synthesis, was then added to the perfusate at a conce
ntration of 10(-4) M, and the dose responses to acetylcholine and sodi
um nitroprusside were repeated. Measurements were performed on groups
of bones after 0, 6,12, and 24 hours of normothermic ischemia (n 5, 4,
6, and 9, respectively. Both acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside p
roduced significant Vasodilatation after 0 and 6 hours' ischemia, but
no significant response was observed after 12 or 24 hours of ischemia.
The vasodilatation produced by acetylcholine was significantly attenu
ated when L-NAME was added to the perfusate, but the vasodilatation pr
oduced by sodium nitroprusside remained unchanged. These findings conf
irm endothelial production of NO by stimulation of muscarinic receptor
s on the endothelial cells in bone and indicate that vasodilatation vi
a the L-arginine/NO pathway remains viable for 6 hours after normother
mic ischemia.