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L-arginine and nitric oxide-related compounds in plasma: comparison of normal and arginine-free diets in a 24-h crossover study

Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA

Stephan Chalon

Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA

Ann M Coulston

General Clinical Research Center, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA

Heitor Moreno, Jr

Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA

Jason R Chan

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA

John P Cooke

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA

Brian B Hoffman

Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Palo Alto VA Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA

Terrence F Blaschke

Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA

The amino acid l-arginine is the precursor of nitric oxide (NO), a powerful vasodilator with antiplatelet properties. The availability of l-arginine has been suggested to be a rate-limiting factor in the production of NO in conditions such as hypercholesterolemia. It was speculated that fluctuations in plasma concentrations of l-arginine during the day may be dependent upon dietary intake of the amino acid, or other variables, and might modify the elaboration of endogenous NO. Over a 24-h period, the plasma concentrations of l-arginine and NO-related compounds (NOx) were measured during an l-arginine and nitrate/nitrite-free diet (diet A) or a nitrate/nitrite-free diet with a fixed amount of l-arginine intake (3.8 g/d) (diet B) in eight healthy volunteers during a 2-day crossover study. Subjects were randomly selected to begin with diet A or diet B and consumed the other diet on the second day. During diet A, plasma l-arginine decreased significantly from 09.00 to 16.00 (21.4 ± 2.0 to 11.9 ± 1.1 mg/ml), rose slightly in the evening (to 16.6 ± 1.7mg/ml) and gradually increased during the night. During diet B, plasma larginine showed a peak after each meal (approximately 23 mg/ml). Plasma NOx concentrations measured by chemiluminescence did not show any circadian variation on either diet. Plasma l-arginine concentrations change during the day and are influenced by dietary intake. Importantly, plasma NOx do not seem to vary with this pattern in healthy individuals.

Key Words: chemiluminescence • l-arginine • nitrate/blood • nitric oxide/blood

Vascular Medicine, Vol. 4, No. 1, 27-32 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/1358836X9900400105


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