Comparison among the effects of arginine, a nitric oxide precursor, isosorbide dinitrate and molsidomine, two nitric oxide donors, on hormonal secretions and blood pressure in man

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Abstract
Arginine has well-known stimulatory effects on GH, PRL and insulin secretion in man but the mechanisms underlying these effects are still unclear. More recently, it has been demonstrated that arginine is the precursor of nitric oxide (NO) which mediates its vasodilatator effect. Thus, it has been hypothesized that NO could also mediate the hormonal effects of arginine. To clarify this point, in seven normal young volunteers (7 normal male subjects, age 26–35 yr) we compared the effects of arginine hydrochloride (ARG, 0.5 g/kg iv over 30 min) on GH, PRL, insulin and glucose levels as well as on blood pressure, with those of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN, 5 mg po) and molsidomine (MOLS, 4 mg po), two NO donors which possess well-known vasodilatatory effects. ARG infusion elicited a clear-cut GH increase (peak vs baseline 17.6±4.7 vs 2.7±0.8 (g/L, pvs 6.9±0.5 (g/L, pvs 4.5±2.1 (U/L, pppvs baseline; systolic: 103±6 vs 112±3, pvs 72±2 mmHg, pvs baseline; systolic: 94±4 vs 112±2, pvs 80±2, pvs 113±2 pvs 72±2, p