Evidence for nitric oxide generation in the cardiomyocytes: its augmentation by hypoxia

Recent reports suggest that endothelial-dependent relaxant factor, recognized as nitric oxide (NO), reduces myocardial contractility. Here, we showed that both exposures to acetylcholine and bradykinin for 30 min increased cyclic guanylate monophosphate (cyclic GMP) in isolated rat cardiomyocytes. These increases in cyclic GMP were blunted by NW-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of NO synthase. Hypoxia augmented the cyclic GMP accumulation due to exposures to acetylcholine and bradykinin, which were blunted by L-NAME. The increases in cyclic GMP due to acetylcholine and bradykinin during normoxic and hypoxic conditions were not blunted by aminoguanidine, an inhibitor of inducible NO synthase. These findings revealed that NO is produced in cardiomyocytes due to stimulation of NO synthase and modulates their own guanylate cyclase, which was augmented by hypoxia. NO production, through NO synthase in cardiomyocytes, may constitute autocrine regulations of myocardial contractility and paracrine regulations of coronary vasodilation and platelet aggregation.