Effect of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine on the microcirculation of rat skin

1. The effects of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, on the microcirculation of rat dorsal skin were studied to examine the role of NO in the regulation of regional haemodynamics. 2. The blood volume in the skin microcirculation, which was continuously measured by reflectance spectrophotometry, was significantly decreased in response to L-NMMA (10 mg/kg bodyweight, i.v.), suggesting vasoconstriction, and the response continued for more than 20 min. In contrast, the increase in systemic blood pressure (BP) disappeared soon after administration of L-NMMA. 3. These results show that L-NMMA elicits long-lasting responses in the skin microcirculation, whereas the systemic BP rapidly recovers, suggesting a large contribution of the NO system to the regulation of rat skin microcirculation.