Nitric oxide synthesis in endothelial cytosol: Evidence for a calcium-dependent and a calcium-independent mechanism

Summary Release of nitric oxide (NO) from endothelial cells critically depends on a sustained increase in intracellular free calcium maintained by a transmembrane calcium influx into the cells. Therefore, we studied whether the free cytosolic calcium concentration directly affects the activity of the NO-forming enzyme(s) present in the cytosol from freshly harvested porcine aortic endothelial cells. NO was quantified by activation of a purified soluble guanylate cyclase coincubated with the cytosol. In the presence of 1 mM L-arginine, 0.1 mM NADPH and 0.1 mM EGTA, endothelial cytosol (0.2 mg of cytosolic protein per ml) stimulated the activity of guanylate cyclase 5.0 + 0.5-fold (from 31 + 9 to 153 + 15 nmol cyclic GMP formed per min per mg guanylate cyclase). Calcium chloride increased this stimulation further in a concentration-dependent fashion by up to 136 + 15% (with 2 M free calcium; EC₅₀ 0.3 M). The calcium-dependent and -independent activation of guanylate cyclase was enhanced by superoxide dismutase (0.3 M) and was inhibited by the stereospecifically acting inhibitor of L-arginine-dependent NO formation N^G-nitro-L-arginine (1 mM) and by LY 83583 (1 M), a generator of superoxide anions. Our findings suggest a calcium-dependent and -independent synthesis of NO from L-arginine by native porcine aortic endothelial cells. Send of fprint requests to A. Mülsch, at the above address     

雌激素对去卵巢大鼠基底前脑NOS及Nestin阳性神经元的影响

目的 观察雌激素替代对去卵巢大鼠基底前脑一氧化氮合酶(NOS)及巢蛋白(Nestin)阳性神经元的影响。方法 将28只健康成年雄性SD大鼠随机分为4个处理组:去势24 h雌激素替代组、去势2周雌激素替代组、去势植物油替代组及假手术组。用组织化学及免疫组织化学染色方法观察基底前脑的内侧隔核(MS)、斜角带垂直支(vDB)及水平支(hDB)的NOS和Nestin阳性神经元数的变化。结果 去势行植物油替代可使MS、vDB的NOS阳性神经元数明显下降(P<0.01);去势24 h或2周行雌激素替代均可使以上亚区的NOS阳性神经元数明显升高至正常水平(P<0.01)。去势行植物油替代或雌激素替代对hDB的:Nestin阳性神经元数的影响趋势与NOS阳性神经元的相似(P<0.01),但对MS及vDB的Nestin阳性神经元数影响不大(P>0.05)。结论 去卵巢行雌激素替代可选择性地使基底前脑不同亚区NOS、Nestin阳性神经元数升高,这可能与雌激素高调了NOS和Nestin的表达有关。     

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase reduces Sephadex-induced oedema formation in the rat lung: Dependence on intact adrenal function

In the present study we have investigated the effect of L-nitro arginine mono methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase on Sephadex induced inflammation in the rat lung. Instillation of Sephadex into the airways induced an inflammatory reaction characterized by a long-lasting interstitial oedema, measured as an increase in lung weight, and an influx of inflammatory cells into the airways. L-NAME given s.c. prevented the increase in lung weight following Sephadex instillation. The inactive enantiomer D-NAME had no effect, nor did aminoguanidine which indicates that this effect of L-NAME was mediated by inhibition of the constitutive form of NOS. Treatment with L-NAME did not reduce an established oedema. In contrast, L-NAME tended to enhance the influx of oesinophils into the airways of Sephadex-instilled animals.L-NAME did not have any effect on the development of oedema in adrenalectomized rats or in animals where formation of glucocorticosteroids (GCS) was inhibited with metyrapone. L-NAME did not however, increase plasma levels of corticosterone. The present results indicate that, in this model, inhibition of NO-synthesis has marked anti-inflammatory effects. The underlying mechanism is complex but seems not to involve prevention of overproduction of NO.     

Nonspecific antiviral immunity by formalin-fixed Coxiella burnetii is enhanced in the absence of nitric oxide

Mice treated with a single injection of formalin-fixed Coxiella burnetii showed a significant increase in resistance to vaccinia virus (VV) infection compared to untreated mice. C. burnetii stimulated dramatically high levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the serum of treated mice, suggesting that NO might play a role in resistance to virus infection. To test this hypothesis, the effect of C. burnetii treatment on VV replication was examined in NOS2-/- and wild-type mice. C. burnetii treatment inhibited VV replication in both the knockout and wild-type mice but the effect was significantly greater in the NOS2-/- mice. Experiments in IFNgamma receptor knockout mice indicated that the nonspecific antiviral immunity induced by C. burnetii was dependent on IFNgamma and not NO. In the absence of NO, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) was increased in C. burnetii-treated mice and this may contribute to the accelerated virus clearance in NOS2-/- mice.     

一氧化氮供体对缺血再灌注肾脏ICAM-1表达的影响

目的 观察缺血再灌注后加用NO供体对肾脏ICAM-1表达及白细胞浸润的影响。方法 分别采用ICAM-1和整合素β2多克隆抗体，免疫组化方法观察加有NO供体后大鼠肾脏缺血再灌注24hICAM-1表达的变化及肾功能改变。结果 缺血再灌注24h大鼠肾脏ICAM-1及β2阳性细胞表达显著增强，以外髓直小血管，皮质肾小管外毛细血管较为明显，再灌注同时灌注NO供体SIN-1可显著抑制缺血再灌注后ICAM-1的表达增强，减少局部炎细胞浸润，改善肾功能，结论 NO供体可减少肾组织ICAM-1的表达及炎细胞浸润，发挥对急性缺血性肾衰的治疗作用。     

Interleukin-10 inhibits IgE-mediated nitric oxide synthase induction and cytokine synthesis in normal human keratinocytes

Human keratinocytes (HK) generate nitric oxide (NO) and proinflammatory mediators following activation with either IgE/anti-IgE immune complexes or a combination of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Recently, interleukin-10 (IL-10) has been shown to down-regulate various inflammatory responses and to be secreted by lymphocytes and dendritic cells during skin inflammatory reactions. We show here that IL-10 down-regulates the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-6 by activated HK. Also, induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in HK by IgE/anti-IgE or LPS/IFN-γ is significantly reduced by the addition of IL-10. This effect is dose dependent and correlates with reduction of iNOS mRNA production and enzyme level. Therefore, IL-10 down-regulates NO-mediated HK inflammatory responses and may thus participate in the regulation of the skin immune network.     

IL-1β、TNF-α和IFN-γ引起的大鼠胰岛细胞凋亡及牛磺酸的影响

目的： 观察白细胞介素-1β(IL-1β)、肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）和γ-干扰素（IFN-γ）引起胰岛细胞凋亡、胰岛素分泌、Bcl-xL和Bax蛋白表达变化及其牛磺酸的影响。方法： 应用体外单层培养Wistar大鼠胰岛细胞，分别检测IL-1β、TNF-α和 IFN-γ对胰岛细胞凋亡细胞百分率、DNA片段、培养液中NO^-₂/ NO^-₃含量及NOS活性、胰岛素分泌、Bcl-xL和Bax表达的影响，并进一步观察牛磺酸的作用。结果： IL-1β、TNF-α和 IFN-γ联合可诱导胰岛细胞凋亡率明显增加，DNA明显片段化，同时NO^-₂/ NO^-₃含量和NOS活性亦明显升高，胰岛素分泌明显降低, Bcl-xL表达下降和Bax表达增强（P<0.01）；牛磺酸能阻断上述细胞因子的作用（P<0.01），并有一定的剂量依赖性。结论：牛磺酸能够改善IL-1β、TNF-α和 IFN-γ诱导的胰岛细胞凋亡，其机制可能与抑制NOS活性从而减少NO的生成以及下调Bax/Bcl-xL比例有关。     

N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester attenuates lithium-induced c-Fos, but not conditioned taste aversion, in rats

Lithium chloride (LiCl) at doses sufficient to induce conditioned taste aversion (CTA) causes c-Fos expression in the relevant brain regions and activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. It has been suggested that nitric oxide (NO) in the central nervous system may play a role not only in the activation of HPA axis but also in CTA learning, and that LiCl may activate the brain NO system. To determine the role of NO in lithium-induced CTA, we examined the lithium-induced CTA, brain c-Fos expression, and plasma corticosterone level with Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) pretreatment. Intraperitoneal L-NAME (30 mg/kg) given 30 min prior to LiCl significantly decreased lithium-induced c-Fos expression in the brain regions implicated in CTA learning, such as the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), central nucleus of amygdala (CeA), and nucleus tractus of solitarius. However, either the lithium-induced CTA acquisition or the increase in plasma corticosterone was not attenuated by l-NAME pretreatment. These results suggest that NO may be involved in lithium-induced neuronal activation of the brain regions, but not in the CTA acquisition or the HPA axis activation.     

Short-circuiting autoimmune disease by target-tissue-derived nitric oxide

A previous report from this laboratory suggested that expression of skeletal-muscle-derived, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), is associated with resistance to the autoimmune model of myasthenia gravis (MG) demonstrated by Wistar Furth rats following the passive transfer of antibody reactive with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). The study reported below demonstrates an association between increased expression of iNOS/NO in Wistar Furth rats and the induction of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in both macrophages and CD4+ T cells that attempt to traffic through targeted muscles. It is concluded that production of muscle-derived NO is protective in experimental MG, and in part, dictates the severity of eventual immunopathology.     

Nitric oxide neurotoxicity

Derangements in glutamate neurotransmission have been implicated in several neurodegenerative disorders including, stroke, epilepsy, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Activation of the N-methyl- -aspartate (NMDA) receptor subtype of glutamate receptors results in the influx of calcium which binds calmodulin and activates neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), to convent -arginine to citrulline and nitric oxide (NO). NO has many roles in the central nervous system as a messenger molecule, however, when generated in excess NO can be neurotoxic. Excess NO is in part responsible for glutamate neurotoxicity in primary neuronal cell culture and in animal models of stroke. It is likely that most of the neurotoxic actions of NO are mediated by peroxynitrite (ONOO−), the reaction product from NO and superoxide anion. In pathologic conditions, peroxynitrite and oxygen free radicals can be generated in excess of a cell antioxidant capacity resulting in severe damage to cellular constitutents including proteins, DNA and lipids. The inherent biochemical and physiological characteristis of the brain, including high lipid concentrations and energy requirements, make it particularly susceptible to free radical and oxidant mediated insult. Increasing evidence indicates that many neurologic disorders may have components of free radical and oxidative stress induced injury.