Toshio Kumai, Masami Tanaka, Tomonori Tateishi, Masako Asoh and Shinichi
Kobayashi
Department of Pharmacology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine,
2-16-1, Sugao, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 216-8511, Japan
Abstract: We studied the effect of sodium nitroprusside (SNP),
a nitric oxide (NO) donor, on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity and epinephrine
and norepinephrine levels in the adrenal medulla of rats. TH activity and
the levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine in the adrenal medulla of the
SNP+nicotine (Nic)-treated group were increased significantly compared to
those in the control, Nic-treated and SNP-treated groups. Furthermore, methylene
blue inhibited this increase in TH activity. The data suggest that the NO
derived from SNP may increase TH through the guanylyl cyclase pathway in
the presence of Nic.
Keywords: Nitric oxide, Sodium nitroprusside, Tyrosine hydroxylase, Catecholamine,
Adrenal medulla