Elevated Body Fat in Rats by the Dietary Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitor, L-Nω Nitroarginine

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry biotechnology, and biochemistry, 1999-04, Vol.63 (4), p.698-702
• Main Authors: KHEDARA, Abdelkrim, GOTO, Tsuyoshi, MORISHIMA, Masako, KAYASHITA, Jun, KATO, Norihisa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - drug effects; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Animals; Arginine - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition - drug effects; body fat; Body Weight - drug effects; Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase - metabolism; Diet; Enzyme Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; fatty acid oxidation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lipid Metabolism; Lipids - blood; Lipids. Glycolipids; Liver - drug effects; Liver - enzymology; Male; Metabolisms and neurohumoral controls; nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase - antagonists & inhibitors; Nitroarginine - administration & dosage; Nitroarginine - pharmacology; rat; Rats; Rats, Wistar; serum triglyceride; Triglycerides - metabolism; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1271/bbb.63.698

The influence of the dietary nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, L-N ω nitroarginine (L-NNA) on body fat was examined in rats. In experiment 1, all rats were fed with the same amount of diet with or without 0.02% L-NNA for 8 wk. L-NNA intake caused elevations in serum triglyceride and body fat, and reduction in serum nitrate (a metabolite of nitric oxide). The activity of hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase was reduced by L-NNA. In experiment 2, rats were fed for 8 wk with the same amount of diets with or without 0.02% L-NNA supplemented or not with 4% L-arginine. The elevation in body fat, and the reductions in serum nitrate and in the activity of hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransfererase by L-NNA were all suppressed by supplemental L-arginine. The results suggest that lower NO generation elevated not only serum triglyceride, but also body fat by reduced fatty acid oxidation.