Nitric oxide inhibits neuronal nitric oxide synthase by interacting with the heme prosthetic group. Role of tetrahydrobiopterin in modulating the inhibitory action of nitric oxide

The objective of this study was to elucidate the mechanism by which nitric oxide (NO) inhibits NO synthase. Previous studies revealed that NO inhibits unpurified preparations of NO synthase. In the present study, the mechanism by which NO inhibits purified neuronal NO synthase from rat cerebellum was examined. The rate of L-citrulline formation from L-arginine was non-linear despite the presence of excess substrate and cofactors and was further inhibited by 30% by 200 units/ml superoxide dismutase. In contrast, 30 microM oxyhemoglobin increased NO synthase activity by 2-fold and made the reaction rate linear. These observations were consistent with the hypothesis that enzymatically generated NO inhibits NO synthase activity. Exogenous NO (0.1-10 microM) (but not NO2, nitrite, or nitrate) also inhibited NO synthase, and enzyme inhibition was not competitive with L-arginine. NO synthase inhibition by NO and other heme ligands supports the view that heme is involved in the catalytic activity of NO synthase. Oxyhemoglobin prevented but could not reverse enzyme inhibition by NO. NO synthase inhibition by NO was markedly diminished and reversed, however, by tetrahydrobiopterin (50 microM) or a tetrahydrobiopterin-regenerating system, and the latter made the reaction rate linear. In contrast, NO synthase inhibition by NO was markedly enhanced by heme oxidants (10 microM methylene blue; 3 microM ferricyanide), and these oxidants directly inhibited NO synthase activity. These observations suggest that NO interacts with enzyme-bound ferric heme to inhibit NO synthase activity. In support of this view, NO inhibited enzyme activity in the absence of turnover, when the heme iron is in the ferric state, and this inhibition was reversed by tetrahydrobiopterin. Therefore, the oxidation state of heme iron appears to be one important determinant for the inhibitory action of NO, and tetrahydrobiopterin may increase NO synthase activity by diminishing the inhibitory action of NO.

Properties of the flavoenzyme D-aspartate oxidase from Octopus vulgaris

The properties of D-aspartate oxidase from Octopus vulgaris (EC 1.4.3.1) have been investigated. The protein is a monomer of M(r) 37,000 containing one mol flavin/mol protein. The enzyme as isolated exists at least in two forms, one containing FAD and the other, which is catalytically inactive, probably containing 6-OH-FAD, as inferred from the absorption spectrum of the enzyme. An additional form of the enzyme, as far as the nature of the coenzyme is concerned, has been detected in the purified enzyme and shown to derive from the form originally containing FAD. The modulation of the coenzyme reactivity exerted by Octopus D-aspartate oxidase, as studied by spectrophotometric techniques, conforms to the one expected for an enzyme belonging to the oxidase class of flavoproteins. Structural investigations show similarities in both the amino-acid composition and the N-terminal amino-acid sequence to bovine D-aspartate oxidase and porcine D-amino-acid oxidase. In summary, the general properties of the enzyme from Octopus vulgaris closely resemble those of the enzyme from beef kidney. Moreover, kinetic analyses suggest that two active-site residues with pKa of 7.1 and 9.1 are critical for catalysis, and that the ionization of such residues has different effects on the catalytic activity depending whether mono- or dicarboxylic D-amino acids are used as substrate.

Interaction between glycine decarboxylase, serine hydroxymethyltransferase and tetrahydrofolate polyglutamates in pea leaf mitochondria

The aim of the present work was to further determine how the T-protein of the glycine-cleavage system and serine hydroxy-methyltransferase (SHMT), two folate-dependent enzymes from pea leaf mitochondria, interact through a common pool of tetrahydrofolate polyglutamates (H4PteGlun). It was observed that the binding affinity of tetrahydrofolate polyglutamates for these proteins continuously increased with increasing number of glutamates up to six residues. It was also established that, once bound to the proteins, tetrahydrofolate, a very O2-sensitive molecule, was protected from oxidative degradation. The dissociation constants (Kd) of H4PteGlu5, the most predominant form of polyglutamate in the mitochondria, were approximately 0.5 microM for both T-protein and SHMT, whereas the Kd values of CH2-H4PteGlu5 were higher, 2.7 and 7 microM respectively. In a matrix extract from pea leaf mitochondria, the maximal activity of the glycine-cleavage system was about 2.5 times higher than the maximal activity of SHMT. This resulted in a permanent disequilibrium of the SHMT-catalysed reaction which was therefore driven toward the production of serine and H4PteGlun, the thermodynamically unfavourable direction. Indeed, measurements of the steady-state ratio of CH2-H4PteGlun/H4PteGlun (n = 1 or n = 5) during the course of glycine oxidation demonstrated that the methylene form accounted for 65-80% of the folate pool. This indicates that, in our in vitro experiments, CH2-H4PteGlun with long polyglutamate chains accumulated in the bulk medium. This observation suggests that, in these in vitro experiments at least, there was no channelling of CH2-H4PteGlu5 between the T-protein and SHMT.

Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes lack detectable nitric oxide synthase activity

Nitric oxide regulates polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) function, but whether or not human PMNs express nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity is controversial. We studied NOS activity in human PMNs by using human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) for comparison. The conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline, a relatively specific measure of NOS activity, was easily measured and inducible in fractionated HAECs, and > 90% of all L-arginine conversion was blocked by the NOS inhibitor, N omega-amino-L-arginine (L-NAA). In fractionated PMNs, L-arginine conversion was low and was unaffected by L-NAA. In addition, NOS activity was not induced in PMNs by LPS, IL-1 beta, or IFN-gamma. In a whole-cell assay, total L-arginine conversion was much lower in human PMNs compared with HAECs (3.38 +/- 0.21 vs 157.5 +/- 10.28 pmol/h/10(6) cells, respectively; p < 0.01). This conversion in whole PMNs was not increased in vitro by LPS, IFN-gamma, IL-1 beta, or TNF-alpha nor decreased by W13, a calmodulin inhibitor. Furthermore, PMNs isolated from four volunteers before and after challenge with i.v. LPS (4 ng/kg) showed no increase in L-arginine to L-citrulline conversion. Nitrite and nitrate release from human PMNs was 35-fold lower than for HAECs and was not inhibited by L-NAA. These data suggest that human PMNs do not express NOS activity.

Multiple types of nitrogen monoxide synthase-/NADPH diaphorase-containing neurons in the human cerebral neocortex

Nitrogen monoxide (NO) synthase (NOS)-containing neurons (NOSN) were identified by means of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) diaphorase histochemistry in nine areas of the human cerebral neocortex from patients 9-74 years of age. Labeled neurons were analyzed according to their disposition in the various layers of the cortical gray and immediately subjacent white matter, and classified according to their cytological features. The vast majority of NOSN (about 80%) are situated in the subcortical white matter and not in the cortical gray proper. Nevertheless, these NOSN extend their processes into the cortical gray and thus appear to participate in intracortical circuits, along with the minority of NOSN situated in all cortical layers. Although many NOSN are small aspiny local circuit neurons, as reported previously, additional distinct cytological types of NADPH diaphorase-positive neurons were also identified, including: (a) local circuit neurons in layer I; (b) granule cells in layer II, and (c) non-pyramidal neurons with densely spinous dendrites in the white matter immediately under the cortical gray. Processes fulfilling light microscopic criteria for axons were seen in many of the above cell types originating from proximal dendrites and, less frequently, from a presumed axon hillock. Taken together, these observations indicate that NOSN belong to several distinct morphological and presumably functional classes, some of which have a unique or restricted laminar location, raising the possibility that some of these various classes of neurons may be selectively affected or spared in neurodegenerative disorders.

Regulation of nitric oxide synthase activity in cortical slices by excitatory amino acids and calcium

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity was determined in adult rat frontal cortex and hippocampus by measuring the conversion of L-[3H]arginine to L-[3H]citrulline. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), but not kainate or alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA), stimulated NOS activity. This effect was concentration dependent (EC50 approximately 30 microM) and was inhibited by tetrodotoxin, EGTA, N omega-nitro-L-arginine (NOARG), Mg2+, phencyclidine, and (cis)-4-phosphonomethyl-2-piperidine carboxylate (CGS 19755), but not by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX). NOS activity was increased to an even greater extent by the calcium ionophores ionomycin and A23187 and by depolarization with 50 mM K+. Interestingly, neither caffeine nor 1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (1S,3R-ACPD), drugs that would be expected to increase intracellular Ca2+ concentration by release of Ca2+ from intracellular ryanodine- and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive stores, respectively, had any significant effect on NOS activity. It is concluded that NOS can be activated by NMDA binding to a classic NMDA glutamate receptor subtype as well as by depolarization or other agents that increase the influx of extracellular Ca2+. The paradoxical lack of effect of caffeine, as well as the inhibitory effect of tetrodotoxin, are discussed.

L-arginine and calmodulin regulation of the heme iron reactivity in neuronal nitric oxide synthase

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is a calmodulin-dependent, flavin-containing hemoprotein that forms NO from L-arginine, NADPH, and molecular oxygen. Calmodulin binding to NOS triggers reduction of its heme groups (Abu-Soud, H., and Stuehr, D.J. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90, 10769-10762), leading to NADPH oxidation and NO synthesis. We have examined how L-arginine and calmodulin control the ligand binding and electron acceptor properties of the NOS heme iron. In the absence of bound calmodulin, ferric NOS exhibited a Kd of 0.6 microM for L-arginine, as determined by the substrate-dependent shift in heme spin equilibrium toward a high spin state. L-Arginine binding reduced the affinity of the ferric NOS heme for cyanide by 8-fold. Carbon monoxide binding to substrate-free ferrous NOS occurred at a rate of 2 x 10(5) M-1 S-1; this rate was decreased 12-fold when L-arginine was bound. In contrast, bound calmodulin did not significantly affect cyanide or carbon monoxide binding to the NOS heme, nor did it alter NOS binding affinity for L-arginine. Anaerobic titration of a calmodulin-bound, L-arginine-free NOS with NADPH led to incomplete reduction of the heme iron; full reduction was achieved only in the presence of added L-arginine. Thus, our data suggest that L-arginine controls NOS heme iron reactivity in at least two ways: 1) it slows ligand interactions by binding in the distal pocket very near the heme and 2) it also appears to increase the reduction potential of the iron. In contrast, bound calmodulin does not alter the NOS affinity for L-arginine or heme ligands and may function solely as a switch that enables electrons to pass from the flavin domain onto the heme iron.

Septic shock: no correlation between plasma levels of nitric oxide metabolites and hypotension or lethality

In the Wistar rat (Riv:TOX strain), Escherichia coli-derived lipopolysaccharide, up to 100 mg/kg, did not affect blood pressure. However, 6 h after administration of live E. coli or Staphylococcus aureus (a microorganism without lipopolysaccharide), both dosed at 12 x 10(9) colony forming units/kg, mean arterial blood pressure significantly decreased to 64% and 48% compared to control, respectively. In contrast to lipopolysaccharide, bacteria produced a dose-dependent lethality within 24 h. Live S. aureus increased plasma levels of nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) only four-fold, while both lipopolysaccharide and live E. coli approximately 20-fold. In conclusion, we demonstrated a lack of correlation between plasma NOx levels and hypotension or lethality.

Localization of age-related changes in NADPH-diaphorase activity in pancreatic neurons

The distribution of NADPH-diaphorase activity in the pancreatic neurons of neonatal, adult and aging rats was investigated using histochemistry. In the neonates, only 40% of the neuronal population showed NADPH-diaphorase labelling, and there was variation in the intensity of labelling ranging from light to heavy staining. In the young and mature adults, 95% of the neurons were labelled for NADPH-diaphorase activity, with most of the neurons being heavily labelled for the enzyme in the older animals. Immediately after birth, the pancreatic neurons found were small clusters of smaller sized cells compared with those observed in the mature adults. Their number reached the adult level by the third month after birth; this was maintained throughout the mature adult phase and subsequently decreased in the aging rats.

Multiple nitric oxide synthase systems in adult rat thymus revealed using NADPH diaphorase histochemistry

Nitric oxide (NO) has become recognized as a multifunctional mediator, with roles in vascular physiology, neurotransmission and non-specific immune defense. The histochemical marker associated with the neural and endothelial form of NO synthase (NOS), reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide diaphorase (NADPHd), has enabled the indirect localization of potential sites of NO production. Innervation of the thymus and its immunological functions made this tissue a candidate for utilization of various NO systems. In the present study on adult rat thymus, multiple cellular sites expressing NADPHd activity, thereby implicated as sites of NOS activity, have been identified using morphological criteria alone: blood vessel endothelium, dendritic cells, deep cortical or medullary stromal cells, intrinsic neuron-like profiles, granulocytes (possibly neutrophils) and fat cells. In addition, the availability to the thymic microenvironment of another form of NOS in macrophages, which is not stained by the diaphorase technique, was supported by the observation of these cells at corticomedullary and cortical locations. These results indicate that a wide variety of possible immunomodulatory roles can be expected for NO in the thymus including the induction of tolerance, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction, lymphocyte trafficking and regulation of thymic endocrine output.

Coronary vasomotor responses: role of endothelium and nitrovasodilators

The endogenous nitrovasodilator endothelium-derived nitric oxide (EDNO) is continuously synthetized enzymatically by NO synthase from L-arginine and is released from endothelial cells. Enhanced, superimposed EDNO release can be stimulated by various local and circulating factors, such as bradykinin, ATP, etc., but also most importantly by viscous drag-induced shear stress of the bloodstream acting on the endothelial lining. Thus luminal release suppresses leukocyte adhesion (expression of adhesion molecules), platelet activation, platelet adhesion, and platelet aggregation, and abluminal release counteracts myogenic and neurogenic coronary constrictor tone, thereby increasing myocardial perfusion and dilating large coronary artery calibers. Thus endothelial impairment and denudation (hypercholesterolemia, atheromatosis, balloon catheter interventions) favor excessive constrictor tone and myocardial ischemia. Under these conditions EDNO can be supplemented by compounds (e.g., nitroglycerin, isosorbide dinitrate) converted by biological systems into NO. In addition, it can be supplemented by compounds that even spontaneously release NO (e.g., sydnonimines such as SIN-1 and sodium nitroprusside). EDNO and exogenously supplemented NO stimulate soluble guanylyl cyclase, increase cGMP levels, and bring about vascular relaxation, particularly in those still compliant sections in which EDNO production is impaired and cGMP levels are thus diminished. Exogenous nitrovasodilators are preferentially converted (in the presence of cysteine) enzymatically in large coronary arteries, improving coronary conductance, and in the venous bed (preload reduction), resulting in an improved O2 supply/demand ratio. During chronic, continuous application, neurohormonal counterregulation and diminished enzymatic biotransformation into NO may reduce their effectiveness, resulting in tolerance, particularly in the most sensitive vascular sections, such as veins and coronary arteries. This drawback can be overcome by applying spontaneously NO-releasing compounds, intermittent therapy, or intermittent interposition of other vasodilator principles.

Brain nitric oxide synthase activity in normal, hypertensive, and stroke-prone rats

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Nitric oxide-mediated cerebral vasodilation is altered in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats. Stroke predisposition in this strain could be related to a genetic defect of brain nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme responsible for nitric oxide production. We tested the hypothesis that brain nitric oxide synthase activity is altered in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats compared with spontaneously hypertensive or Wistar-Kyoto rats.

METHODS

A colony of spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats was bred, in which the rate of neurological events under salt load was assessed. In a separate cohort of animals brain nitric oxide synthase activity was measured in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats (n = 6) and in spontaneously hypertensive (n = 6) and genetically related Wistar-Kyoto rats (n = 6). Calcium dependency of nitric oxide synthase was also assessed in cortical brain samples from the three rat strains to determine if altered calcium-dependent activation of nitric oxide synthase was present.

RESULTS

Brain nitric oxide synthase activity was highest in the cerebellum (eg, spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats: cerebral cortex, 10.6 +/- 0.9; cerebellum, 50.1 +/- 12.0; brain stem, 14.7 +/- 10.3 pmol/mg protein per minute); however, there was no difference among the three rat strains in any region (eg, cerebral cortex: spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone, 10.6 +/- 0.9; spontaneously hypertensive, 10.8 +/- 0.5; Wistar-Kyoto, 10.9 +/- 0.7 pmol/mg protein per minute) or at any calcium concentration tested.

CONCLUSIONS

A genetic defect of brain nitric oxide synthase is unlikely to be the cause of stroke predisposition in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats.

Interleukin-1 beta stimulates nitrite production in the rat ovary: evidence for heterologous cell-cell interaction and for insulin-mediated regulation of the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase

Recent studies suggest that endogenously generated nitric oxide (NO) may mediate the effects of cytokines in a variety of tissues. In an effort to determine whether NO generation mediates any of the intraovarian actions of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), we have looked for and characterized the accumulation of nitrite by IL-1 beta-treated, cultured whole ovarian dispersates. Application of IL-1 beta significantly enhanced basal nitrite release in a dose-, cell density- and time-dependent manner, the latter characterized by a lag time of about 20 h, suggestive of induction of NO synthase (NOS). Cellular NOS activity was also elevated by IL-1 beta. Sustained nitrite accumulation required continuous application of IL-1 beta. The maximally stimulating dose of IL-1 beta (50 ng/ml) produced a 10-fold increase in nitrite accumulation by 96 h of culture, an effect reduced 23% when cells were cultured in substrate (i.e., arginine)-free media. IL-1 beta-stimulated nitrite accumulation was reduced to control levels by the simultaneous application of an IL-1 beta receptor antagonist, thereby suggesting a specific receptor-mediated effect. Both the control and IL-1 beta-stimulated levels of nitrite accumulation were attenuated in a dose-dependent manner by inhibitors that favor the inducible form of NOS. In contrast, selective inhibitors of the constitutive form of NOS were significantly less potent. No inhibition was noted after application of an inactive stereoisomeric analogue. IL-1 beta-induced nitrite accumulation was shown to require cell-cell interaction between granulosa and theca-interstitial cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Nitric oxide-mediated effects of interleukin-6 on [Ca2+]i and cell contraction in cultured chick ventricular myocytes

Cytokines have significant roles in some cardiovascular disorders, but direct myocardial effects of cytokines remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we examined both the early and delayed effects of interleukin-6 (IL-6) on cultured chick embryo ventricular myocytes. Exposure of these cells to human recombinant IL-6 significantly decreased peak systolic [Ca2+]i (71.0 +/- 0.6% of the control value) and the amplitude of cell contraction (66.0 +/- 7.4% of the control value) within a few minutes. Pretreatment with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) or methylene blue completely inhibited the IL-6-induced early changes. Subsequent addition of L-arginine reversed the effects of L-NMMA. The levels of cGMP were significantly increased after 30 minutes of exposure to IL-6 (134.4 +/- 9.1% of the control value). Pretreatment with L-NMMA or EGTA significantly inhibited the IL-6-induced early elevation of cGMP. These results suggest that IL-6 acutely decreases intracellular Ca2+ transients and depresses cell contraction by nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP-mediated pathway. Therefore, IL-6 may enhance the Ca(2+)-dependent constitutive NO synthase activity in cardiac myocytes. On the other hand, 24-hour exposure to IL-6 also increased the levels of cGMP (159.0 +/- 22.8% of the control value) regardless of pretreatment with EGTA. These delayed increases in cGMP were also shown to be coupled with decreases in intracellular Ca2+ transients and the amplitude of cell contraction. Thus, IL-6 may induce Ca(2+)-independent NO synthase in cardiac myocytes. Together with the previous reports that have suggested the possible roles of IL-6 in myocardial stunning or endotoxic shock, this negative inotropic effect of IL-6 may contribute to these clinical settings.

Simultaneous activation of adenylyl cyclase and protein kinase C induces production of nitric oxide by vascular smooth muscle cells

Rat aortic smooth muscle cells produced large quantities of nitric oxide (NO) after exposure to interleukin-1 beta, and this was depressed in the presence of the protein kinase C inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide. Intracellular cAMP levels were elevated mildly in cytokine-treated smooth muscle cells, and the presence of forskolin enhanced both the cAMP levels and NO production. Inhibition of GTP:cyclohydrolase I by 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine attenuated NO production by interleukin-1 beta-treated cells. GTP:cyclohydrolase is the regulatory enzyme for de novo tetrahydrobiopterin synthesis, and the latter is a required cofactor for NO synthase activity. Treatment of smooth muscle cells with forskolin induced GTP:cyclohydrolase mRNA expression, and simultaneous treatment of cells with forskolin and phorbol esters elicited NO production. Angiotensin II and arginine-vasopressin, acknowledged agonists for protein kinase C, elicited production of NO by forskolin-treated smooth muscle cells. These observations confirm the importance of GTP:cyclohydrolase activity for NO production by cultured smooth muscle cells and implicate both adenylyl cyclase and protein kinase C in this process.

Modulation of ion channels in rod photoreceptors by nitric oxide

Subcellular compartments in the outer retina of the larval tiger salamander were identified as likely sites of production of nitric oxide (NO), a recently recognized intercellular messenger. NADPH diaphorase histochemistry and NO synthase immunocytochemistry labeled photoreceptor ellipsoids and the distal regions of bipolar and glial cells apposing photoreceptor inner segments, suggesting a role for NO in visual processing in the outer retina. We investigated the actions of NO on several rod photoreceptor ion channels. Application of the NO-generating compound S-nitrosocysteine increased Ca2+ channel current and a voltage-independent conductance, but had no affect on voltage-gated K+ or nonspecific cation currents. Given the steep relation between voltage-dependent Ca2+ influx and photoreceptor synaptic output, these results indicate that NO could modulate transmission of the photoresponse to second order cells.

Histological and functional studies on the nitroxidergic nerve innervating monkey cerebral, mesenteric and temporal arteries

Nitroxidergic nerves and their functional role were determined in a variety of monkey arteries. Nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive nerve fibers innervating the monkey arterial wall were histochemically determined by the use of nitric oxide synthase antiserum. Thin nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive fibers were consistently found in the outer media of monkey cerebral, mesenteric and temporal arteries, in addition to many thicker fibers and nerve bundles in the adventitia. In the monkey pterygopalatine ganglion, the immunoreactivity was clearly seen in nerve cells, bundles and fibers. Helical strips of monkey arteries were exposed to the bathing media for tension recordings and were stimulated by electrical square pulses. In helical strips of the cerebral artery denuded of the endothelium, transmural electrical stimulation produced relaxations that were abolished by tetrodotoxin or NG-nitro-L-arginine, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor. In the monkey mesenteric and temporal arterial strips treated with alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists, the relaxation caused by electrical stimulation was also abolished by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, and it was restored by L-arginine. Nitroxidergic perivascular nerves, histologically demonstrated, appear to play an important role in dilating the monkey cerebral artery and in counteracting a vasoconstriction associated with noradrenergic nerve activation in the mesenteric and temporal arteries.

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent nitric oxide synthase in Apis mellifera and Drosophila melanogaster

NADPH diaphorase (NADPHd) is a marker enzyme for nitric oxide (NO)-producing cells in vertebrates. This paper investigates the relationship between NADPHd and the NO-producing enzyme NO synthase (NOS) in neuronal tissue of Apis and Drosophila, two insects used for studying learning. First, the NOS and the NADPHd in both species were characterized biochemically. The fixation-insensitive NADPHd activity, which accounts for the staining in NADPHd histochemistry, co-purifies with the insect Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent NOS. Formation of NO from L-arginine depends on NADPH, and half-maximal stimulation is observed with 0.3 microM Ca2+. NOS is competitively inhibited by methyl-L-arginine and nitro-L-arginine, with Ki of 1.7 and 1.9 microM, respectively. The co-purification and the competitive inhibition of NOS by the NADPHd substrate, nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT), are proof that in insects the enzyme responsible for fixation-insensitive NADPHd activity is nitric oxide synthase. Second, the NOS activity was quantified in distinct neuropiles and the NO-producing neuropiles were visualized using NADPHd histochemistry. In both species the highest NOS activity is found in the chemosensory neuropiles of the antennal lobes, intermediate activity in the neuropiles of the central brain and by far the lowest NOS activity in the visual neuropiles. Although in both species the Kenyon cell somata of the mushroom bodies show no detectable staining, the neuropiles of the mushroom bodies of Drosophila and Apis show a distinct staining. The staining pattern of NOS in both species is different to that of all known neurotransmitters.

Distribution of nitric oxide synthase activity in arterioles and venules of rat and human intestine

NO is produced within peripheral blood vessels through the action of the differentially distributed constitutive and inducible NO synthase isoforms in the vessel wall. As in other sites in the periphery, NO exerts local vasodilatory actions in the gastrointestinal microvasculature and is proposed to play a role in enteric vasomotor regulation. Using NO synthase histochemistry and endothelial cell immunohistochemistry, we provide the first anatomic evidence of NO synthesis in both endothelial and smooth muscle cells of submucosal blood vessels in the rat and human intestine. The findings of this study indicate that 1) as in the periphery, both the endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells of the microvessels irrigating the rat and human intestinal wall possess NO synthesis potential, 2) NO synthase activity is predominantly localized to discrete subcellular patches, and 3) the source of NO within the vascular wall, either intimal or medial, should be a consideration in future studies in terms of the relative contribution of these sources of vasomotor tone in the rat and human gut wall.

Localization of nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity in mast cells of human nasal mucosa

Nitric oxide (NO)-synthase immunoreactivity has been detected for the first time in mast cells of human normal nasal mucosa, with an antibody specific for neuronal NO-synthase. Intense immunoreactivity was revealed in secretion granules of mast cells but was found in mast cell granules free in the extracellular matrix only in some instances; no reactivity was found in the cytoplasm of this or other cell types. These findings suggest that human nasal mast cells contain a particulate isoform of NO-synthase, which shares epitopes with neuronal NO-synthase and is rapidly removed from granules upon exocytosis.

NG-Nitro-L-arginine protects against ischaemia-induced increases in nitric oxide and hippocampal neuro-degeneration in the gerbil

To assess the effects of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-Nitro-L-arginine on behavioural, biochemical and histological changes following global ischaemia, the Mongolian gerbil was used. Ischaemia was induced by bilateral carotid occlusion for 5 min. NG-Nitro-L-arginine was administered i.p. at either 1 or 10 mg/kg 30 min, 6, 24, and 48 h after surgery. 5 min bilateral carotid occluded animals were hyperactive 24, 48 and 72 h after surgery. NG-Nitro-L-arginine caused some attenuation in this hyperactivity. The activity of nitric oxide synthase was increased in the cerebellum, brain stem, striatum, cerebral cortex and hippocampus of 5 min bilateral carotid occluded animals. NG-Nitro-L-arginine reversed the increase in nitric oxide synthase activity in all brain regions. Extensive neuronal death was observed in the CA1 layer of the hippocampus in 5 min bilateral carotid occluded animals 96 h after surgery. NG-Nitro-L-arginine significantly protected against the neuronal death of cells in the CA1 layer.

Hepatocyte inducible nitric oxide synthesis is influenced in vitro by cell density

Hepatocyte plating density is known to affect cell function. Human and rat hepatocytes have been shown to express the inducible nitric oxide synthase (INOS) in response to cytokines plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The following studies were performed to determine the effects of hepatocyte plating density on the regulation of INOS. Rat hepatocytes were plated at densities from 10(4) to 20 x 10(4) hepatocytes/cm2 and stimulated with a combination of LPS, interferon-gamma, interleukin-1, and tumor necrosis factor. We found that NO2- plus NO3- released from stimulated hepatocytes declines with increasing hepatocyte density. Similar effects were seen for 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate release into supernatants and in the amount of nonheme iron-nitrosyl signals measured by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Limitations of substrate (L-arginine) and 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin were excluded as cause of the reduced nitric oxide generation at higher densities. Although mRNA levels for INOS were not influenced when measured at 24 h, there was a marked reduction in INOS enzyme activity and INOS protein detectable by Western blotting at higher cell density. Total protein synthesis decreased as hepatocyte density increased in both nonstimulated and stimulated hepatocytes at higher cell densities. These data suggest that reduced INOS translation may account for the density-dependent reduction in INOS activity in cultured hepatocytes. The importance of this phenomenon remains to be determined in vivo but has important implications for the in vitro study of INOS expression.

Transient nitric oxide synthase neurons in embryonic cerebral cortical plate, sensory ganglia, and olfactory epithelium

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS), visualized immunohistochemically or with NADPH diaphorase histochemistry, is transiently expressed in discrete areas of the developing rat nervous system. In the brain transient NOS expression occurs in the cerebral cortical plate. At E15-E19, the majority of cells in the plate stain, with their processes extending through the corpus striatum to the thalamus. This staining decreases after birth and vanishes by the 15th postnatal day. Neurons in olfactory epithelium also express NOS from E15 till early postnatal life. In embryonic sensory ganglia virtually all neuronal cells are NOS positive, whereas by early adulthood only 1% express NOS. By contrast to these areas of transient NOS expression, in other neuronal sites NOS staining appears after cell bodies cease dividing and cells extend processes, and the staining persists in adult life. The transient expression of neuronal NOS may reflect a role in developmental processes such as programmed cell death.

Protein kinase C is a mediator of lipopolysaccharide-induced vascular suppression in the rat aorta

Treatment of vascular tissue with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro induces hyporesponsiveness to contractile agonists. We investigated whether protein kinase C (PKC) transduces the LPS signal into contractile dysfunction. Rat aortic tissue was incubated .5-18 h with LPS (10 or 30 ng/mL) or alpha- and beta-phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDB, .1 or 1 microM), either alone or combined with cycloheximide (50 microM) or the kinase inhibitors sphingosine (20 microM), H7 (1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methyl piperazine, 25 microM), and HA1004 (N-(2-guanidinoethyl)-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide, 25 microM). LPS and beta-PDB induced a sustained translocation of PKC activity from the cytosol to the membrane, an increased protein synthesis-dependent expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, and an impaired contractility that could be partially reversed by treatment with the NOS inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. Incubation with alpha-PDB, an inactive isomer of beta-PDB, did not alter any of the tissue functions. Sphingosine blocked LPS- and beta-PDB-induced NOS activity and LPS-induced impairments in tissue contractility and PKC translocation. Incubation with H7 also protected against LPS-induced vasoplegia, while HA1004, used as a negative control for H7, provided little protection against LPS. These data indicate that PKC plays a role as an intracellular mediator of LPS-induced NOS activity and vascular suppression.

Dopamine-releasing action of 6R-L-erythro-tetrahydrobiopterin: analysis of its action site using sepiapterin

Recently, we reported that 6R-L-erythro-tetrahydrobiopterin (6R-BH4), a natural cofactor for hydroxylases of tyrosine and tryptophan, has a monoamine-releasing action independent of its cofactor activity. Here we attempted to determine whether 6R-BH4 acts inside the cell or from the outside of the cell by using brain microdialysis in the rat striatum. For this purpose, sepiapterin, and immediate precursor of 6R-BH4 in the salvage pathway, was used to selectively increase the intracellular 6R-BH4 levels. Dialytic perfusion of sepiapterin increased tissue levels of reduced biopterin (mainly 6R-BH4) but not the extracellular levels. Administration of sepiapterin increased the extracellular levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) (an index of in vivo tyrosine hydroxylase activity) and of dopamine (DA) (an index of in vivo DA release). Either of the increases was eliminated after pretreatment with a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine. Administration of 6R-BH4 increased extracellular levels of reduced biopterin. DOPA, and DA. After pretreatment with alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, the increase in DOPA levels was abolished, but most of the increase in DA levels persisted. The increase in DA levels also persisted after pretreatment with nitric oxide synthase inhibitors. These data demonstrate that 6R-BH4 stimulates DA release directly, independent of its cofactor action for tyrosine hydroxylase and nitric oxide synthase, by acting from the outside of neurons.