Nitric oxide exposure inhibits endothelial NOS activity but not gene expression: a role for superoxide

1998 ◽  
Vol 274 (5) ◽  
pp. L833-L841 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Macduff Sheehy ◽  
Michael A. Burson ◽  
Stephen M. Black

Recent studies have characterized a rebound pulmonary vasoconstriction with abrupt withdrawal of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) during therapy for pulmonary hypertension, suggesting that inhaled NO may downregulate basal NO production. However, the exact mechanism of this rebound pulmonary hypertension remains unclear. The objectives of these studies were to determine the effect of NO exposure on endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) gene expression, enzyme activity, and posttranslational modification in cultured pulmonary arterial endothelial cells. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) treatment had no effect on eNOS mRNA or protein levels but did produce a significant decrease in enzyme activity. Furthermore, although SNP treatment induced protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent eNOS phosphorylation, blockade of PKC activity did not protect against the effects of SNP. When the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol or the superoxide scavenger 4,5-dihydroxy-1-benzene-disulfonic acid were coincubated with SNP, the inhibitory effects on eNOS activity could be partially alleviated. Also, the levels of superoxide were found to be elevated 4.5-fold when cultured pulmonary arterial endothelial cells were exposed to the NO donor spermine/NO. This suggests that NO can stimulate xanthine oxidase to cause an increase in cellular superoxide generation. A reaction between NO and superoxide would produce peroxynitrite, which could then react with the eNOS protein, resulting in enzyme inactivation. This mechanism may explain, at least in part, how NO produces NOS inhibition in vivo and may delineate, in part, the mechanism of rebound pulmonary hypertension after withdrawal of inhaled NO.

2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (1) ◽  
pp. L60-L68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis G. Chicoine ◽  
Michael L. Paffett ◽  
Tamara L. Young ◽  
Leif D. Nelin

Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by NO synthase (NOS) from l-arginine (l-Arg). Alternatively, l-Arg can be metabolized by arginase to produce l-ornithine and urea. Arginase (AR) exists in two isoforms, ARI and ARII. We hypothesized that inhibiting AR with l-valine (l-Val) would increase NO production in bovine pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (bPAEC). bPAEC were grown to confluence in either regular medium (EGM; control) or EGM with lipopolysaccharide and tumor necrosis factor-α (L/T) added. Treatment of bPAEC with L/T resulted in greater ARI protein expression and ARII mRNA expression than in control bPAEC. Addition of l-Val to the medium led to a concentration-dependent decrease in urea production and a concentration-dependent increase in NO production in both control and L/T-treated bPAEC. In a second set of experiments, control and L/T bPAEC were grown in EGM, EGM with 30 mM l-Val, EGM with 10 mM l-Arg, or EGM with both 10 mM l-Arg and 30 mM l-Val. In both control and L/T bPAEC, treatment with l-Val decreased urea production and increased NO production. Treatment with l-Arg increased both urea and NO production. The addition of the combination l-Arg and l-Val decreased urea production compared with the addition of l-Arg alone and increased NO production compared with l-Val alone. These data suggest that competition for intracellular l-Arg by AR may be involved in the regulation of NOS activity in control bPAEC and in response to L/T treatment.


2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (4) ◽  
pp. L715-L728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Lee ◽  
Reuben Reich ◽  
Fang Xu ◽  
Pravin B. Sehgal

Although the administration of monocrotaline (MCT) into experimental animals is in widespread use today in investigations of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the underlying cellular and subcellular mechanisms that culminate in vascular remodeling are incompletely understood. Bovine pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PAECs) in culture exposed to monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP) develop “megalocytosis” 18–24 h later characterized by enlarged hyperploid cells with enlarged Golgi, mislocalization of endothelial nitric oxide synthase away from the plasma membrane, decreased cell-surface/caveolar nitric oxide (NO), and hypo- S-nitrosylation of caveolin-1, clathrin heavy chain, and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor. We investigated whether MCTP did in fact affect functional intracellular trafficking. The NO scavenger (4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (c-PTIO) and the NO donor diethylamine NONOate were used for comparison. Both MCTP and c-PTIO produced distinctive four- to fivefold enlarged PAECs within 24–48 h with markedly enlarged/dispersed Golgi, as visualized by immunostaining for the Golgi tethers/matrix proteins giantin, GM130, and p115. Live-cell uptake of the Golgi marker C5 ceramide revealed a compact juxtanuclear Golgi in untreated PAECs, brightly labeled enlarged circumnuclear Golgi after MCTP, but minimally labeled Golgi elements after c-PTIO. These Golgi changes were reduced by NONOate. After an initial inhibition during the first day, both MCTP and c-PTIO markedly enhanced anterograde secretion of soluble cargo (exogenous vector-expressed recombinant horseradish peroxidase) over the next 4 days. Live-cell internalization assays using fluorescently tagged ligands showed that both MCTP and c-PTIO inhibited the retrograde uptake of acetylated low-density lipoprotein, transferrin, and cholera toxin B. Moreover, MCTP, and to a variable extent c-PTIO, reduced the cell-surface density of all receptors assayed (LDLR, TfnR, BMPR, Tie-2, and PECAM-1/CD31). In an important distinction, c-PTIO enhanced mitosis in PAECs but MCTP inhibited mitosis, even that due to c-PTIO, despite markedly exaggerated Golgi dispersal. Taken together, these data define a broad-spectrum Golgi and subcellular trafficking dysfunction syndrome in endothelial cells exposed to MCTP or NO scavenging.


2002 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 835-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamoru Kadosaki ◽  
Takae Kawamura ◽  
Kotaro Oyama ◽  
Noriko Nara ◽  
Jicheng Wei ◽  
...  

Background The beneficial effect of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) on pulmonary hypertension is well known. However, the indications for NO inhalation therapy for pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart lesions are still unclear. The aim of the current study was to seek a measure that would predict the effectiveness of inhaled NO in infants undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods Forty-six infants with pulmonary hypertension were studied. Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) measured at the time of cardiac catheterization was used as an indicator and compared with pulmonary arterial pressure/systemic blood pressure ratio (Pp/Ps) at the time of weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass. The effect of 40 ppm of inhaled NO for 15 min was evaluated in patients whose Pp exceeded systemic values. Results Preoperative PVR correlated positively with Pp/Ps at the time of weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (r2 = 0.86; P < 0.05; n = 46). A Pp/Ps greater than or equal to 1 was not observed in any cases in which the preoperative PVR values were less than 7 Wood units m2; Pp/Ps ratio greater than or equal to 1 occurred in four patients. Each of these had PVR values greater than 7 Wood units m2. Three of these patients who had PVR values in the 7-12 Wood units m2 range were responsive to inhaled NO. The fourth patient, whose PVR value was greater than 15 Wood units m2, was unresponsive. Lung biopsy specimens were obtained in two patients whose preoperative PVR values were greater than 10 Wood units m2. Conclusion Preoperative PVR correlates reasonably well with postbypass Pp/Ps.


2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (3) ◽  
pp. H1373-H1389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Somshuvra Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Fang Xu ◽  
Pravin B. Sehgal

We previously reported the disruption of caveolae/rafts, dysfunction of Golgi tethers, N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor-attachment protein (SNAP) receptor proteins (SNAREs), and SNAPs, and inhibition of anterograde trafficking in endothelial cells in culture and rat lung exposed to monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP) as a prelude to the development of pulmonary hypertension. We have now investigated 1) whether this trafficking block affects subcellular localization and function of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) and 2) whether Golgi blockade and eNOS sequestration are observed after hypoxia and senescence. Immunofluorescence data revealed that MCTP-induced “megalocytosis” of pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PAEC) was accompanied by a loss of eNOS from the plasma membrane, with increased accumulation in the cytoplasm. This cytoplasmic eNOS was sequestered in heterogeneous compartments and partially colocalized with Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) markers, caveolin-1, NOSTRIN, and ER Tracker, but not Lyso Tracker. Hypoxia and senescence also produced enlarged PAEC, with dysfunctional Golgi and loss of eNOS from the plasma membrane, with sequestration in the cytoplasm. Live-cell imaging of caveolar and cytoplasmic NO with 4,5-diaminofluorescein diacetate (DAF-2DA) as probe showed a marked loss of caveolar NO after MCTP, hypoxia, and senescence. Although ionomycin stimulated DAF-2DA fluorescence in control PAEC, this ionophore decreased DAF-2DA fluorescence in MCTP-treated and senescent PAEC, suggesting localization of eNOS in an aberrant cytoplasmic compartment that was readily discharged by Ca2+-induced exocytosis. Thus monocrotaline, hypoxia, and senescence produce a Golgi blockade in PAEC, leading to sequestration of eNOS away from its functional caveolar location and providing a mechanism for the often-reported reduction in pulmonary arterial NO levels in experimental pulmonary hypertension, despite sustained eNOS protein levels.


2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (1) ◽  
pp. L105-L116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjiv Kumar ◽  
Neetu Sud ◽  
Fabio V. Fonseca ◽  
Yali Hou ◽  
Stephen M. Black

Previous studies have indicated that acute increases in shear stress can stimulate endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity through increased PI3 kinase/Akt signaling and phosphorylation of Ser1177. However, the mechanism by which shear stress activates this pathway has not been adequately resolved nor has the potential role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) been evaluated. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine if shear-mediated increases in ROS play a role in stimulating Ser1177 phosphorylation and NO signaling in pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PAEC) exposed to acute increases in shear stress. Our initial studies demonstrated that although shear stress did not increase superoxide levels in PAEC, there was an increase in H2O2 levels. The increases in H2O2 were associated with a decrease in catalase activity but not protein levels. In addition, we found that acute shear stress caused an increase in eNOS phosphorylation at Ser1177 phosphorylation and a decrease in phosphorylation at Thr495. We also found that the overexpression of catalase significantly attenuated the shear-mediated increases in H2O2, phospho-Ser1177 eNOS, and NO generation. Further investigation identified a decrease in PKCδ activity in response to shear stress, and the overexpression of PKCδ attenuated the shear-mediated decrease in Thr495 phosphorylation and the increase in NO generation, and this led to increased eNOS uncoupling. PKCδ overexpression also attenuated Ser1177 phosphorylation through a posttranslational increase in catalase activity, mediated via a serine phosphorylation event, reducing shear-mediated increases in H2O2. Together, our data indicate that shear stress decreases PKCδ activity, altering the phosphorylation pattern catalase, leading to decreased catalase activity and increased H2O2 signaling, and this in turn leads to increases in phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser1177 and NO generation.


2013 ◽  
Vol 305 (12) ◽  
pp. L934-L942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marijke Wynants ◽  
Leanda Vengethasamy ◽  
Alicja Ronisz ◽  
Bart Meyns ◽  
Marion Delcroix ◽  
...  

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is characterized by thrombofibrotic obstruction of proximal pulmonary arteries. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis remain incompletely understood, although we recently evidenced the potential involvement of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP). We aimed to investigate the intracellular mechanisms induced by CRP in proximal pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PAEC). PAEC were isolated from vascular material obtained during pulmonary endarterectomy. RNA was extracted from CRP-stimulated PAEC, and first-stand cDNA was generated. A RT2 profiler PCR Array was used to evaluate the expression of 84 key genes related to NF-κB-mediated signal transduction. CRP-induced NF-κB activation was studied. The effects of pyrrolidine-dithio-carbamate ammonium (PDTC), an inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway, were investigated on CRP-induced adhesion of monocytes to PAEC, adhesion molecule expression, endothelin-1 (ET-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and von Willebrand factor (vWF) secretion. Compared with nonstimulated PAEC, serotonin receptor 2B was downregulated by 25%, inhibitor of NF-κB kinase subunit epsilon (IKBKE) by 30%, and toll-like receptor-4 and -6 by 18 and 39%, respectively, in CRP-stimulated PAEC. The transcription factor FOS was threefold upregulated. CRP induced RelA/NF-κBp65 phosphorylation. PDTC dose dependently inhibited the adhesion of monocytes to CRP-stimulated PAEC. PDTC also inhibited the CRP-induced expression of ICAM-1 at the surface of PAEC. PDTC impaired the secretion of ET-1 by 18% and tended to inhibit the secretion of IL-6 by CRP-stimulated PAEC by 46%. PDTC did not inhibit the CRP-induced secretion of vWF. These results suggest an involvement of the NF-κB pathway in mediating different effects of CRP on proximal CTEPH-PAEC.


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