L-arginine supplementation and experimental airway hyperreactivity

The interest in L-arginine metabolism was triggered primarily by the discovery of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in mammals and its remarkable biological roles. The real role of L-arginine in the airway hyperreactivity (AHR) has not been established yet. Therefore, we studied whether supplementation of L-arginine can influence the experimental AHR evoked by two different triggers - allergen and exogenous irritant (toluene vapours). Male TRIK strain guinea pigs were used in the study. We used two patterns of pretreatment with L-arginine in vivo, short- and long-term, in a dose of 300 mg/kg administered i.p., after which we studied reactivity of airway smooth muscles in vitro. Pretreatment with L-arginine for 3 days decreased the airway smooth muscle reactivity induced by toluene vapour, whereas pretreatment for 17 days was without any additional effect on smooth muscle reactivity. The short-term pretreatment in ovalbumin-induced hyperreactivity caused an increase in airway smooth muscle reactivity to lower concentrations of both bronchoconstrictors. On the other side, this pretreatment significantly decreased smooth muscle reactivity to high concentrations of both bronchoconstrictors. Supplementation of L-arginine resulted in a modification of the airway smooth muscle response. The effect of supplementation was different depending on the AHR trigger, airway region and pretreatment duration. The results also underscore the importance of an optimal L-arginine level for the control of bronchial tone.