Protective effects of (6R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-L-biopterin on local ischemia/reperfusion-induced suppression of reactive hyperemia in rat gingiva

Abstract

We herein investigated the regulatory mechanismin the circulation responsible for rat gingival reactive hyperemia (RH) associated with ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). RH was analyzed using a laser Doppler flowmeter. RH and I/R were elicited by gingival compression and release with a laser Doppler probe. RH increased in a time-dependent manner when the duration of compression was between 30 s and 20 min. This increase was significantly suppressed by Nυ-nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester (L-NAME), 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), and 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine (DAHP). However, RH was markedly inhibited following 60 min of compression. This inhibition was significantly decreased by treatments with superoxide dismutase (SOD), (6R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-L-biopterin (BH4), and sepiapterin. The luminescent intensity of superoxide anion (O2z.ast;-)-induced 2-methyl-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3,7-dihydroimidazo-[1,2-a] pyrazine-3-one (MCLA) was markedly decreased by SOD and BH4, but only slightly by sepiapterin. BH4 significantly decreased O2-scavenging activity in a time-dependent manner. These results suggested that nitric oxide (NO) secreted by the nitrergic nerve played a role in regulating local circulation in rat gingiva. This NO-related regulation of local circulation was temporarily inhibited in the gingiva by the I/R treatment. The decrease observed in the production of NO, which was caused by suppression of NO syn-thase (NOS) activity subsequent to depletion of the NOS co-factor BH4 by O2- , played a partial role in this inhibition.