APStracts 6:0265A, 1999.

Temperature conditioning of nasal air: effects of vasoactive agents and involvement of nitric oxide. Holden, William E., John P. Wilkins, Michelle Harris, Henry A. Milczuk and George D. Giraud. From: Medical Service, Portland Veterans Administration Medical Center1 and Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health Sciences University2, Portland, Oregon 97201.

APStracts 6:0265A, 1999.

Nitric oxide (NO) is released into nasal air, but its function is unknown. We hypothesized that nasal vascular tone and/or flow influences temperature conditioning of nasal air, and that NO participates in this process. We measured nasal air temperature (via a thermocouple) and exhaled nasal NO release (by chemilluminescence) in 5 humans and examined the effects of an aerosolized vasoconstrictor (oxymetazoline), a vasodilator (papaverine), NG -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of NO synthase, or saline (control). Compared with saline (which caused no changes in nasal air temperature or exhaled NO release), oxymetazoline (0.05%) reduced nasal air temperature and NO release (130.8 +/- 15.1 to 81.3 +/- 12.8 nL/min/M2, p<0.01). Papaverine (0.01 molar) increased nasal air temperature and NO release (131.8 +/- 13.1 to 157.2 +/- 17.4 nL/min/M2, p<0.03). L-NAME reduced nasal air temperature and NO release (123.7 +/- 14.2 to 44.2 +/- 23.7 nL/min/M2, p<0.01). The results suggest that vascular tone and/or flow modulate temperature conditioning and that NO may participate in that function.

Received 9 July 1998; accepted in final form 27 May 1999.
APS Manuscript Number A619-8.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1999 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 22 June 1999