The effects of methylene blue, an inhibitor of the activation of the soluble guanylyl cyclase by nitric oxide (NO), were studied on blood pressure (BP) and on hyporesponsiveness to norepinephrine (NE) induced by Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. Methylene blue intravenous (i.v.) injection (3 mg/kg) produced a transient increase in BP which, in LPS-treated rats, was followed by a more sustained increase in BP. Methylene blue restored the reactivity to NE in LPS-treated rats but did not change either BP or reactivity to NE in saline-infused control rats. Cyclic GMP level was significantly increased in small femoral resistance arteries removed from LPS-treated rats as compared with controls (125.2 +/- 19.5 and 83.5 +/- 18.8 fmol/mg DNA, respectively, n = 8). In rats receiving methylene blue, there was no significant difference in cyclic GMP content of the arteries of LPS-treated rats as compared with controls (59.4 +/- 8.1 and 78.5 +/- 6.1 fmol/mg DNA, respectively, n = 8). These results support the involvement of increased stimulation of arterial guanylyl cyclase in hyporeactivity to NE elicited by LPS. They show that in vivo administration of methylene blue is able to restore both vascular cyclic GMP level and pressor responses to NE to control levels in LPS-treated rats.
