Different effect of L-NAME treatment on susceptibility to decompression sickness in male and female rats

A. Mazur, Peter Buzzacott, K. Lambrechts, Q. Wang, M. Belhomme, M. Theron, G. Popov, G. Distefano, F. Guerrero

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    12 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    © 2014, National Research Council of Canada. All rights reserved.Vascular bubble formation results from supersaturation during inadequate decompression contributes to endothelial injuries, which form the basis for the development of decompression sickness (DCS). Risk factors for DCS include increased age, weight–fat mass, decreased maximal oxygen uptake, chronic diseases, dehydration, and nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Production of NO is often affected by diving and its expression–activity varies between the genders. Little is known about the influence of sex on the risk of DCS. To study this relationship we used an animal model of N?-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) to induce decreased NO production. Male and female rats with diverse ages and weights were divided into 2 groups: treated with L-NAME (in tap water; 0.05 mg·mL–1 for 7 days) and a control group. To control the distribution of nitrogen among tissues, 2 different compression–decompression protocols were used. Results showed that L-NAME was significantly associated with increased DCS in female rats (p = 0.039) only. Weight was significant for both sexes (p = 0.01). The protocol with the highest estimated tissue pressures in the slower compartments was 2.6 times more likely to produce DCS than the protocol with the highest estimated tissue pressures in faster compartments. The outcome of this study had significantly different susceptibility to DCS after L-NAME treatment between the sexes, while L-NAME per se had no effect on the likelihood of DCS. The analysis also showed that for the appearance of DCS, the most significant factors were type of protocol and weight.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1280-1285
    Number of pages6
    JournalApplied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism
    Volume39
    Issue number11
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2014

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Different effect of L-NAME treatment on susceptibility to decompression sickness in male and female rats'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this