PKC mediates LPS- and phorbol-induced cardiac cell nitric oxide synthase activity and hypocontractility

1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (6) ◽  
pp. H1891-H1898 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. McKenna ◽  
S. Li ◽  
S. Tao

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment impairs cardiac myocyte contractility in a nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-dependent manner. The objective of this study was to assess whether protein kinase C (PKC) transduces the LPS signal into an enhanced NOS activity in rat cardiac myocytes. LPS (100 ng/ml) stimulated myocyte PKC activity, inducible NOS (iNOS) expression, and NOS activity in a time- and protein synthesis-dependent fashion. Directly activating PKC with beta-phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (beta-PDB) also induced myocyte iNOS synthesis and NOS activity and reduced electrically stimulated contractility, while the inactive alpha-PDB was ineffectual. Contractility could be restored to beta-PDB-incubated cells by superfusion with the NOS inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. PKC blockade with sphingosine, chelerythrine, or calphostin-C precluded LPS- and beta-PDB-induced increases in NOS activity and protected contractility. Depletion of PKC by 18 h of incubation with beta-PDB in the presence of chelerythrine also blocked acquisition of enhanced NOS activity and contractile dysfunction when the myocytes were subsequently exposed to LPS. These findings suggest that PKC is a significant intracellular mediator for the effects of LPS on cardiac cell NOS activity and contractile function.

2000 ◽  
Vol 68 (12) ◽  
pp. 7087-7093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.-H. Li ◽  
Z.-Q. Yan ◽  
J. Skov Jensen ◽  
K. Tullus ◽  
A. Brauner

ABSTRACT Chronic lung disease (CLD) of prematurity is an inflammatory disease with a multifactorial etiology. The importance ofUreaplasma urealyticum in the development of CLD is debated, and steroids produce some improvement in neonates with this disease. In the present study, the capability of U. urealyticum to stimulate rat alveolar macrophages to produce nitric oxide (NO), express inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and activate nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in vitro was characterized. The effect of NO on the growth of U. urealyticum was also investigated. In addition, the impact of dexamethasone and budesonide on these processes was examined. We found that U. urealyticum antigen (≥4 × 107 color-changing units/ml) stimulated alveolar macrophages to produce NO in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P < 0.05). This effect was further enhanced by gamma interferon (100 IU/ml; P < 0.05) but was attenuated by budesonide and dexamethasone (10−4 to 10−6 M) (P < 0.05). The mRNA and protein levels of iNOS were also induced in response to U. urealyticum and inhibited by steroids.U. urealyticum antigen triggered NF-κB activation, a possible mechanism for the induced iNOS expression, which also was inhibited by steroids. NO induced by U. urealyticum caused a sixfold reduction of its own growth after infection for 10 h. Our findings imply that U. urealyticum may be an important factor in the development of CLD. The host defense response againstU. urealyticum infection may also be influenced by NO. The down-regulatory effect of steroids on NF-κB activation, iNOS expression, and NO production might partly explain the beneficial effect of steroids in neonates with CLD.


2011 ◽  
Vol 301 (3) ◽  
pp. H721-H729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsuhiko Noguchi ◽  
Naobumi Hamadate ◽  
Toshihiro Matsuzaki ◽  
Mayuko Sakanashi ◽  
Junko Nakasone ◽  
...  

An elevation of oxidized forms of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), especially dihydrobiopterin (BH2), has been reported in the setting of oxidative stress, such as arteriosclerotic/atherosclerotic disorders, where endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is dysfunctional, but the role of BH2 in the regulation of eNOS activity in vivo remains to be evaluated. This study was designed to clarify whether increasing BH2 concentration causes endothelial dysfunction in rats. To increase vascular BH2 levels, the BH2 precursor sepiapterin (SEP) was intravenously given after the administration of the specific dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor methotrexate (MTX) to block intracellular conversion of BH2 to BH4. MTX/SEP treatment did not significantly affect aortic BH4 levels compared with control treatment. However, MTX/SEP treatment markedly augmented aortic BH2 levels (291.1 ± 29.2 vs. 33.4 ± 6.4 pmol/g, P < 0.01) in association with moderate hypertension. Treatment with MTX alone did not significantly alter blood pressure or BH4 levels but decreased the BH4-to-BH2 ratio. Treatment with MTX/SEP, but not with MTX alone, impaired ACh-induced vasodilator and depressor responses compared with the control treatment (both P < 0.05) and also aggravated ACh-induced endothelium-dependent relaxations ( P < 0.05) of isolated aortas without affecting sodium nitroprusside-induced endothelium-independent relaxations. Importantly, MTX/SEP treatment significantly enhanced aortic superoxide production, which was diminished by NOS inhibitor treatment, and the impaired ACh-induced relaxations were reversed with SOD ( P < 0.05), suggesting the involvement of eNOS uncoupling. These results indicate, for the first time, that increasing BH2 causes eNOS dysfunction in vivo even in the absence of BH4 deficiency, demonstrating a novel insight into the regulation of endothelial function.


2015 ◽  
Vol 118 (9) ◽  
pp. 1113-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yet Hoi Hong ◽  
Tony Frugier ◽  
Xinmei Zhang ◽  
Robyn M. Murphy ◽  
Gordon S. Lynch ◽  
...  

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) significantly attenuates the increase in skeletal muscle glucose uptake during contraction/exercise, and a greater attenuation is observed in individuals with Type 2 diabetes compared with healthy individuals. Therefore, NO appears to play an important role in mediating muscle glucose uptake during contraction. In this study, we investigated the involvement of neuronal NOSμ (nNOSμ), the main NOS isoform activated during contraction, on skeletal muscle glucose uptake during ex vivo contraction. Extensor digitorum longus muscles were isolated from nNOSμ−/−and nNOSμ+/+mice. Muscles were contracted ex vivo in a temperature-controlled (30°C) organ bath with or without the presence of the NOS inhibitor NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (L-NMMA) and the NOS substrate L-arginine. Glucose uptake was determined by radioactive tracers. Skeletal muscle glucose uptake increased approximately fourfold during contraction in muscles from both nNOSμ−/−and nNOSμ+/+mice. L-NMMA significantly attenuated the increase in muscle glucose uptake during contraction in both genotypes. This attenuation was reversed by L-arginine, suggesting that L-NMMA attenuated the increase in muscle glucose uptake during contraction by inhibiting NOS and not via a nonspecific effect of the inhibitor. Low levels of NOS activity (∼4%) were detected in muscles from nNOSμ−/−mice, and there was no evidence of compensation from other NOS isoform or AMP-activated protein kinase which is also involved in mediating muscle glucose uptake during contraction. These results indicate that NO regulates skeletal muscle glucose uptake during ex vivo contraction independently of nNOSμ.


1995 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iulio JL Di ◽  
NM Gude ◽  
RG King ◽  
SP Brennecke

The aim of this study was to determine whether any labour-associated changes in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity occur in human placenta and fetal membranes. NOS activity in amnion, choriodecidua, and placenta obtained from women before (at Caesarean section, not in labour), during (at Caesarean section, in labour) and after (spontaneous onset labour, normal vaginal delivery) labour was assessed by measuring conversion of radio-labelled L-arginine to L-citrulline. NOS activity, as judged by its inhibition by the specific NOS inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine, was present in placental and amnionic tissues, but not in choriodecidual tissue specimens. Activity detected in choriodecidua was significantly blocked during incubation with a high concentration of valine, suggesting that L-arginine was being consumed by reactions other than NOS under the experimental conditions in that tissue. There were no significant differences among the labour groups in either amnion or placental NOS activities measured in the presence of 1 microM L-arginine. Amnion NOS activity was significantly less than that in placenta. Placental V(max) and Km values (determined after removal of endogenous L-arginine) did not differ significantly among the different labour groups.


1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (3) ◽  
pp. H1403-H1407 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Yasuda ◽  
W. Y. Lew

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces cardiac depression by activating nitric oxide pathways to increase guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP), a second messenger of nitric oxide. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) may interact with nitric oxide pathways. We hypothesized that ET-1 modulates LPS-induced contractile depression in cardiac myocytes. Adult rabbit cardiac myocytes exposed to LPS (10 ng/ml) developed decreased cell shortening after 6 h, with an increase in cardiac cGMP levels [606 +/- 36 (SE) fmol/mg protein] compared with control myocytes (360 +/- 26 fmol/mg protein, P < 0.05). LPS effects were completely blocked by coincubation with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (1 mM). Coincubation with ET-1 (10 nM) attenuated the contractile depression and increase in cGMP with LPS (482 +/- 28 fmol/mg protein, P < 0.05 vs. LPS alone). ET-1 alone did not alter cGMP levels (350 +/- 30 fmol/mg protein). ET-1 effects on contractile function were blocked by BQ-123 (10 microM), a selective ET-1 type A receptor antagonist. We conclude that ET-1 ameliorates LPS-induced contractile depression in cardiac myocytes by attenuating LPS effects on nitric oxide-cGMP pathways.


2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (8) ◽  
pp. 777-782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masa-aki Hattori ◽  
Yukio Kato ◽  
Noboru Fujihara

The presence of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) has been found in porcine oocytes, but its mRNA and protein levels remain relatively constant during hormonal stimulation. The present study was designed to determine the effect of retinoic acid on eNOS regulation in porcine oocytes during follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulation. Cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs), prepared from small antral follicles of immature porcine ovaries, were cultured for 15 h and treated with FSH for an additional 48 h. eNOS mRNA and its protein were analyzed by reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. Retinoic acid had an inhibitory effect on the level of oocyte eNOS mRNA in a dose-dependent manner if COCs were exposed to retinoic acid before FSH stimulation. The inhibition of FSH action was reflected in a decrease in expression of c-fos mRNA. eNOS protein also decreased to approximately 50% of the control after exposure to 10 μM retinoic acid. However, the ability of NO synthesis was abolished in the oocytes prepared from retinoic acid pretreated COCs. These results suggest that retinoic acid has a strong inhibitory action on eNOS mRNA level and NO synthesis in the porcine oocyte.Key words: oocyte, retinoic acid, NO synthesis, eNOS, RT–PCR.


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