Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity promotes ischaemic skin flap survival

Abstract

1. We have examined the role of nitric oxide (NO) in a model of functional angiogenesis in which survival of a skin flap depends entirely on angiogenesis to provide an arterial blood supply to maintain tissue viability. 2. The different effects of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors on rat skin flap survival appeared to be explained on the basis of their NOS isoform selectivity. Skin flap survival was decreased by iNOS-selective (inducible NOS) inhibitors, S-methyl-isothiourea, aminoguanidine and amino-ethylthiorea; unaffected by the non-selective inhibitor nitro-imino-L-ornithine; and enhanced by the cNOS (constitutive NOS, that is endothelial NOS (eNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS)) inhibito..