Basal tonic release of nitric oxide coupled to cGMP production regulates the vascular reactivity of the mesenteric bed.

To reveal a basal production of nitric oxide (NO) and guanosine 3',5' cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) in the rat arterial mesenteric bed, mesenteries were perfused in the absence and in the presence of selective blockers of the L-arginine cascade. Endothelium removal or inhibition of NO synthase significantly reduced the release of NO and tissue cGMP. A significant correlation between these messengers was shown. Blockade of soluble guanylyl cyclase with 0.3-10 microM 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) only reduced basal cGMP production; 1-100 nM sildenafil (Sild), an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase V, increased basal tissue cGMP without modifying the release of NO. Acetylcholine (0.01-10 microM) caused a concentration-dependent rise in NO and cGMP evoking a proportional vasodilatation, demonstrating the interdependence between these messengers and vascular reactivity. Endothelium removal or NO synthase blockade reduced the acetylcholine-induced increase of messengers and the vasodilatation. ODQ attenuated only the increase in cGMP and the vasodilatation, while sildenafil increased cGMP without significantly altering luminal NO release. The present results highlight a tonic release of NO and its involvement in endothelial-smooth muscle signaling; NO and cGMP are determinants of vascular reactivity.