L-ARGININE INFUSION INDUCES HYPOTENSION AND DIURESIS NATRIURESIS WITH CONCOMITANT INCREASED URINARY-EXCRETION OF NITRITE NITRATE AND CYCLIC-GMP IN HUMANS

1. The vascular endothelium produces endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) or nitric oxide (NO), which exerts vasodilation through cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) as a second messenger. To determine whether EDRF has any vasodilating and natriuretic action in man, the present study examined the effects Of L-arginine (L-Arg), a substrate for NO, on the responses of mean blood pressure (MBP) and heart rate (HR); plasma concentrations of cGMP, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and nitrite/nitrate (NOx); urinary excretion of sodium, cGMP and NOx; and urinary flow in eight normal male subjects. These parameters were compared with those following saline infusion in the same subjects. Clearance of para-aminohippuric acid (PAH) and inulin was studied in five normal subjects. 2. Infusion Of L-Arg (30 g) caused a significant fall in MBP (- 8 mmHg) with a concomitant rise in HR (10 beats/min), while saline infusion had no effects on these parameters. 3. Neither L-Arg nor saline infusion caused appreciable changes in plasma concentrations of ANF or NOx. Plasma cGMP concentrations increased significantly during (1.7-fold) and after (1.9-fold) L-Arg infusion, but only slightly (1.3-fold) during saline infusion. 4. Urine flow increased more remarkably following L-Arg infusion than that following saline infusion. Remarkable increases in urinary excretion of sodium and fractional excretion of sodium were observed after L-Arg infusion compared with those after saline infusion. Natriuresis was associated with enhanced urinary excretion of cGMP and Nox. Urinary NOx excretion showed positive correlations with urinary flow (r = 0.69, P < 0.001) and with urinary cGMP excretion (r = 0.60, P<0.01). PAH clearance showed significant increase by L-Arg infusion, while no significant change of inulin clearance was observed. 5. These date suggest that infusion Of L-Arg causes hypotension and diuresis/natriuresis associated with increase in renal plasma flow, possibly via the formation of endogenous EDRF in man.