This study focuses on the potential role for nitric oxide on the actions of the parasympathetic innervation to the heart. Earlier, we showed that the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) reduced the bradycardia induced by stimulation of vagal efferent motor fibres and that these effects are reversible through administration of the NOS substrate L-arginine. In the present study, we show that D-arginine does not reverse the effects of the inhibitors and confirm that they are reversed by L-arginine. Another NOS inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG), produced similar effects which were not reversed by L-arginine. In an examination of the effect of increasing NO availability with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside the vagally induced bradycardia was enhanced at all frequencies tested. In a separate series, the effects of NOS inhibitors and NO donors on the dromotropic actions of the vagus were examined. The NOS inhibitor L-NAME, reduced the increase in atrio-ventricular conduction delay normally induced by efferent vagal stimulation at all frequencies tested both in the 'paced' and 'unpaced' heart. Further, sodium nitroprusside enhanced this delay. Overall the study indicates that NO has an important facilitatory role on both the chronotropic and dromotropic actions of the vagus nerve on the heart and that NO may be a rate-limiting factor in the cardiac responses to vagal stimulation.

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