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En Face Detection of Nitric Oxide and Superoxide in Endothelial Layer of Intact Arteries
Published on: February 25, 2016
Nitric oxide is not involved in vascular nociception of noxious physical stimuli in humans
1Institut für Experimentelle Anaesthesiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany.
Abstract:
We tested the hypothesis that nitric oxide (NO) is involved in vascular nociception of physical stimuli in humans. Vascularly isolated hand vein segments of six healthy volunteers were pretreated with the NO synthase inhibitor, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 10(-7)-10(-4) M) and repeatedly subjected to noxious thermal (2 degrees C, 52 degrees C) or mechanical stimuli (balloon distention) and, for control, to the endogenous algetic bradykinin (10(-6) M). L-NAME prevented in a concentration-related manner the algesic action of bradykinin, but had no effect on pain evoked by heat, cold, or stretch. NO is therefore not a general chemical link in nociception.
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