Heme oxygenase activity and immunohistochemical localization in bovine pulmonary artery and vein

Differential inhibition of rat and mouse microsome heme oxygenase by derivatives of imidazole and benzimidazole

Metalloporphyrin heme oxygenase (HO) inhibitors have made an important contribution to elucidating the role of HO in physiological processes. Nevertheless, their off-target effects have drawn substantial criticism, which prompted us to develop non-porphyrin, azole-based inhibitors of HO. These second-generation HO inhibitors were evaluated using spleen and brain microsomes from rats as native sources of HO-1 and HO-2, respectively. Recently, the use of azole-based inhibitors of HO has been extended to other mammalian species and, as a consequence, it will be important to characterize the inhibitors in these species. The goal of this study was to compare the inhibitory profile of imidazole- and benzimidazole-based inhibitors of HO in a breast-cancer-implanted mouse to that of an untreated rat. For spleen and brain microsomes from both species, HO protein expression was determined by Western blotting and concentration-response curves for imidazole- and benzimidazole-derivative inhibition of HO activity were determined using a headspace gas-chromatographic assay. It was found that the effects on HO activity by imidazole and benzimidazole derivatives were different between the 2 species and were not explained by differences in HO expression. Thus, the HO inhibitory profile should be determined for azole derivatives before they are used in mammalian species other than rats.

The effects of azole-based heme oxygenase inhibitors on rat cytochromes P450 2E1 and 3A1/2 and human cytochromes P450 3A4 and 2D6

Heme oxygenases (HOs) catalyze the degradation of heme to biliverdin, carbon monoxide (CO), and free iron. The two major isoforms, HO-1 (inducible) and HO-2 (constitutive), are involved in a variety of physiological functions, including inflammation, apoptosis, neuromodulation, and vascular regulation. Major tools used in exploring these actions have been metalloporphyrin analogs of heme that inhibit the HOs. However, these tools are limited by their lack of selectivity; they affect other heme-dependent enzymes, such as cytochromes P450 (P450s), soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), and nitric-oxide synthase (NOS). Our laboratory has successfully synthesized a number of nonporphyrin azole-based HO inhibitors (QC-xx) that had little or no effect on sGC and NOS activity. However, their effects on various P450 isoforms have yet to be fully elucidated. To determine the effects of the QC-xx inhibitors on P450 enzyme activity, microsomal preparations of two rat P450 isoforms (2E1 and 3A1/3A2) and two human P450 supersome isoforms (3A4 and 2D6) were incubated with varying concentrations of HO inhibitor, and the activity was determined by spectrophotometric or fluorometric analysis. Results indicated that some QC compounds demonstrated little to no inhibition of the P450s, whereas others did inhibit these P450 isoforms. Four structural regions of QC-xx were analyzed, leading to the identification of structures that confer a decreased effect on both rat and human P450 isoforms studied while maintaining an inhibitory effect on the HOs.

Growth-dependent changes in the contribution of carbon monoxide to arteriolar function

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Endothelium-dependent dilation of skeletal muscle arterioles is mediated by unknown factors in very young rats. We assessed the possible contribution of carbon monoxide (CO) to this dilation and to dilation in older animals.

METHODS

The effects of de-endothelialization or various pharmacological inhibitors on responses to CO or endothelium-dependent dilators were studied in gracilis muscle arterioles from rats at 3-4 weeks ('weanlings') and 6-7 weeks ('juveniles').

RESULTS

Exogenous CO constricted, rather than dilated, arterioles from both age groups. This constriction was reduced by endothelial removal or NOS inhibition in juvenile, but not weanling, arterioles. In contrast, this constriction was abolished by K(+) channel inhibition in weanling, but not juvenile, arterioles. The heme precursor delta-aminolevulinic acid constricted juvenile arterioles but did not affect weanling arterioles. The heme oxygenase inhibitor chromium (III) mesoporphyrin IX abolished the endothelium-dependent dilation of juvenile arterioles to simvastatin, and reduced ACh- and simvastatin-induced dilations of weanling arterioles.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that relatively high concentrations of exogenous CO can cause constriction by inhibiting endothelium-derived NO in juvenile arterioles and inhibiting K(+) channels in weanling arterioles. Endogenous CO produced at lower concentrations can contribute to endothelium-dependent dilation in both age groups.

Effectiveness of novel imidazole-dioxolane heme oxygenase inhibitors in renal proximal tubule epithelial cells

To enhance our understanding of the physiological roles of heme oxygenase (HO) isozymes, HO-1 (inducible) and HO-2 (constitutive), we developed novel imidazole-based HO inhibitors. Unlike the metalloporphyrins, these imidazole-dioxolane compounds are selective for the in vitro inhibition of HO with minimal effects on other heme-dependent enzymes such as nitric oxide synthase and soluble guanylyl cyclase. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that these novel HO inhibitors are effective in intact cells by extending their application to cultured, renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (LLC-PK1). HO-1 and HO-2 protein expression was enhanced by pretreatment of cells with hemin, transduction with adenovirus encoding human HO-1, and transfection with cDNA for HO-2, respectively. Total HO activity was measured by determining the formation of carbon monoxide (CO), whereas cell viability and apoptosis were measured by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and the expression of activated caspase-3. Gliotoxin/tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) produced cytotoxicity in wild-type LLC-PK1 cells (P < 0.05) but not in HO-1 and HO-2 overexpressing or wild type cells pretreated with hemin (10 microM). The presence of imidazole-dioxolane HO inhibitors (2-25 microM) decreased cell viability (P < 0.05). A CO-releasing molecule reversed, in a dose-dependent manner, the cytotoxic effects and caspase-3 activation induced by the combination of gliotoxin/TNF-alpha and the HO inhibitors, suggesting an important role for CO in protection against renal toxicity. These data demonstrate a protective role of both HO-1 and HO-2 against gliotoxin/TNF-alpha-induced cytotoxicity in LLC-PK1 cells. The novel imidazole-dioxolane compounds can be used as effective inhibitors of HO activity in cell culture.

Inhibition of the enzymatic activity of heme oxygenases by azole-based antifungal drugs

Ketoconazole (KTZ) and other azole antifungal agents are known to have a variety of actions beyond the inhibition of sterol synthesis in fungi. These drugs share structural features with a series of novel heme oxygenase (HO) inhibitors designed in our laboratory. Accordingly, we hypothesized that therapeutically used azole-based antifungal drugs are effective HO inhibitors. Using gas chromatography to quantify carbon monoxide formation in vitro and in vivo, we have shown that azole-containing antifungal drugs are potent HO inhibitors. Terconazole, sulconazole, and KTZ were the most potent drugs with IC(50) values of 0.41 +/- 0.01, 1.1 +/- 0.4, and 0.3 +/- 0.1 microM for rat spleen microsomal HO activity, respectively. Kinetic characterization revealed that KTZ was a noncompetitive HO inhibitor. In the presence of KTZ (2.5 and 10 microM), K(m) values for both rat spleen and brain microsomal HO were not altered; however, a significant decrease in the catalytic capacity (V(max)) was observed (P < 0.005). KTZ was also found to weakly inhibit nitric-oxide synthase with an IC(50) of 177 +/- 2 microM but had no effect on the enzymatic activity of NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase. Because these drugs were effective within the concentration range observed in humans, it is possible that inhibition of HO may play a role in some of the pharmacological actions of these antimycotic drugs.

Selectivity of imidazole-dioxolane compounds for in vitro inhibition of microsomal haem oxygenase isoforms

Haem oxygenases (HO) are involved in the catalytic breakdown of haem to generate carbon monoxide (CO), iron and biliverdin. It is widely accepted that products of haem catabolism are involved in biological signaling in many physiological processes. Conclusions to most studies in this field have gained support from the judicious use of synthetic metalloporphyrins such as chromium mesoporphyrin (CrMP) to selectively inhibit HO. However, metalloporphyrins have also been found to inhibit other haem-dependent enzymes, such as nitric oxide synthase (NOS), cytochromes P-450 (CYPs) and soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), induce the expression of HO-1 or exhibit varied toxic effects. To obviate some of these problems, we have been examining non-porphyrin HO inhibitors and the present study describes imidazole-dioxolane compounds with high selectivity for inhibition of HO-1 (rat spleen microsomes) compared to HO-2 (rat brain microsomes) in vitro. (2R,4R)-2-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]-2-[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl]-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane hydrochloride) was identified as the most selective inhibitor with a concentration of 0.6 microM inhibiting HO-1(inducible) by 50% compared with 394 microM for HO-2 (constitutive). These compounds were found to have no effects on the catalytic activities of rat brain NOS and lung sGC, but were potent inhibitors of microsomal CYP2E1 and CYP3A1/3A2 activities. In conclusion, we have identified imidazole-dioxolanes that are able to inhibit microsomal HO in vitro with high selectivity for HO-1 compared to HO-2, and little or no effect on the activities of neuronal NOS and sGC. These molecules could be used to facilitate studies on the elucidation of physiological roles of HO/CO in biological systems.

Increased vascular heme oxygenase-1 expression contributes to arterial vasodilation in experimental cirrhosis in rats

Vascular heme oxygenase (HO) regulates vascular tone in normal conditions and in some pathologic circumstances (e.g., sepsis). However, its possible role in the pathogenesis of arterial vasodilation in cirrhosis is unknown. To address this question, the expression and activity of HO in arterial vessels was studied in rats at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after bile duct ligation (BDL) or sham operation. A progressively increased expression of HO-1 was found in aorta and mesenteric arteries of BDL rats in a close chronologic relationship with the progression from acute cholestatic liver injury (1 week) to the fully developed cirrhosis with intense systemic arterial vasodilation (4 weeks). No changes were found in the expression of the constitutive isoform HO-2. HO-1 was mainly located in vascular smooth muscle cells of the arterial wall. Aortic HO activity increased in parallel with the expression of HO-1 (up to 600% in rats with cirrhosis compared with sham rats) and correlated with hemodynamic parameters. Increased expression of HO-1 and HO activity were also found in other organs, such as liver and spleen, though to a lesser extent compared with vascular tissue. The acute administration of an inhibitor of HO to cirrhotic rats, at a dose that normalized aortic HO activity, was associated with significantly greater effects on arterial pressure, total peripheral vascular resistance, and cardiac index, compared with effects in sham rats. In conclusion, these findings are consistent with a role for HO in the pathogenesis of arterial vasodilation in cirrhosis.

Effects of endogenous carbon monoxide on collagen synthesis in pulmonary artery in rats under hypoxia

To study the role of endogenous carbon monoxide (CO) in collagen metabolism during hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodeling, a total of 18 Wistar rats were used in the study and they were randomly divided into three groups: hypoxia group (n = 6), hypoxia with zinc protoporphyrin-IX (ZnPP-IX) group (n = 6) and control group (n = 6). The measurement of mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) formation in lung tissue homogenates was measured. A morphometric analysis of pulmonary vessels was performed, in which the percentage of muscularized arteries (MA); partially muscularized arteries (PMA) and nonmuscularized arteries (NMV) in small and median pulmonary vessels, relative medial thickness (RMT) and relative medial area (RMA) of pulmonary arteries were analyzed. Collagen type I and III and transforming growth factor-beta3 (TGF-beta3) expressions were detected by immunohistochemical assay. The expressions of procollagen type I and III and TGF-beta3 mRNA were detected by in situ hybridization. The results showed that ZnPP-IX significantly increased mPAP and markedly decreased HbCO formation in lung tissue homogenates in rats under hypoxia (P < 0.01). In the hypoxia rats treated with ZnPP-IX, the percentage of muscularized arteries of small and median pulmonary vessels was obviously increased, and RMT and RMA of intra-acinar muscularized pulmonary arteries were markedly increased compared with hypoxic rats. Ultrastructural changes, such as hyperplasia and hypertrophy of endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and the increased number of SMCs in synthetic phenotype were found in intra-acinar pulmonary muscularized arteries of hypoxic rats treated with ZnPP-IX. Meanwhile, ZnPP-IX promoted the expression of collagen type I and III and TGF-beta3 protein in pulmonary arteries of rats under hypoxia (P < 0.01). Furthermore, ZnPP-IX elevated obviously the expressions of procollagen type I and III mRNA, and TGF-beta3 mRNA in pulmonary arteries of rats under hypoxia (P < 0.01). The results of this study suggested that ZnPP-IX played an important role in promoting collagen synthesis in pulmonary arteries of rats with hypoxic pulmonary structural remodeling by increasing the expression of TGF-beta3. The above findings also suggested a possible role of endogenous CO in the pathogenesis of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

Effect of glucose and oxygen deprivation on heme oxygenase expression in human chorionic villi explants and immortalized trophoblast cells

Although hypoxia induces heme oxygenase (HO)-1 mRNA and protein expression in many cell types, recent studies in our laboratory using human placental tissue have shown that a preexposure to hypoxia does not affect subsequent HO enzymatic activity for optimized assay conditions (20% O2; 0.5 mM NADPH; 25 microM methemalbumin) or HO-1 protein content. One of the consequences of impaired blood flow is glucose deprivation, which has been shown to be an inducer of HO-1 expression in HepG2 hepatoma cells. The objective of the present study was to test the effects of a 24-h preexposure to glucose-deprived medium, in 0.5 or 20% O2, on HO protein content and enzymatic activity in isolated chorionic villi and immortalized HTR-8/SVneo first-trimester trophoblast cells. HO protein content was determined by Western blot analysis, and microsomal HO enzymatic activity was measured by assessment of the rate of CO formation. HO enzymatic activity was increased (P < 0.05) in both placental models after 24-h preexposure to glucose-deficient medium in 0.5 or 20% O2. Preexposure (24 h) in a combination of low O2 and low glucose concentrations decreased the protein content of the HO-1 isoform by 59.6% (P < 0.05), whereas preexposure (24 h) to low glucose concentration alone increased HO-2 content by 28.2% in chorionic villi explants (P < 0.05). In this preparation, HO enzymatic activity correlated with HO-2 protein content (r = 0.825). However, there was no correlation between HO-2 protein content and HO enzymatic activity in HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells preexposed to 0.5% O2 and low glucose concentration for 24 h. These findings indicate that the regulation of HO expression in the human placenta is a complex process that depends, at least in part, on local glucose and oxygen concentrations.

CO modulates pulmonary vascular response to acute hypoxia: relation to endothelin

Pulmonary intralobar arteries express heme oxygenase (HO)-1 and -2 and release carbon monoxide (CO) during incubation in Krebs buffer. Acute hypoxia elicits isometric tension development (0.77 +/- 0.06 mN/mm) in pulmonary vascular rings treated with 15 micromol/l chromium mesoporphyrin (CrMP), an inhibitor of HO-dependent CO synthesis, but has no effect in untreated vessels. Acute hypoxia also induces contraction of pulmonary vessels taken from rats injected with HO-2 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN), which decrease pulmonary HO-2 vascular expression and CO release. Hypoxia-induced contraction of vessels treated with CrMP is attenuated (P < 0.05) by endothelium removal, by CO (1-100 micromol/l) in the bathing buffer, and by endothelin-1 (ET-1) receptor blockade with L-754142 (10 micromol/l). CrMP increases ET-1 levels in pulmonary intralobar arteries, particularly during incubation in hypooxygenated media. CrMP also causes a leftward shift in the concentration-response curve to ET-1, which is offset by exogenous CO. In anesthetized rats, pretreatment with CrMP (40 micromol/kg iv) intensifies the elevation of pulmonary artery pressure elicited by breathing a hypoxic gas mixture. However, acute hypoxia does not elicit augmentation of pulmonary arterial pressure in rats pretreated concurrently with CrMP and the ET-1 receptor antagonist L-745142 (15 mg/kg iv). These data suggest that a product of HO activity, most likely CO, inhibits hypoxia-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction by reducing ET-1 vascular levels and sensitivity.

Interaction between heme oxygenase-1 and -2 proteins

The three isoforms of heme oxygenase (HO), the rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation, are the products of different genes that show marked differences in regulation and expression. Why is there redundancy in the heme degradation pathway, and why are there differences in tissue expression of HO isoenzymes are unanswered questions? An interaction between HO-1 and HO-2 is suspected by the co-localization of these enzymes in the lung and regions of the brain. Using multiple models and assays, we demonstrated an interaction between HO-1 and HO-2 at amino acids 0-45 of HO-2 and amino acids 58-80 of HO-1. The latter corresponds to a highly conserved, hydrophilic, and exposed region of the protein. Furthermore, the observed activity of the HO-1.HO-2 complex was lower than that expected from the sum of HO-1- and HO-2-derived activities, suggesting that this interaction serves to limit HO enzymatic activity. We speculate that this HO-1.HO-2 protein interaction may promote non-enzymatic functions of HO.

A major role for carbon monoxide as an endogenous hyperpolarizing factor in the gastrointestinal tract

Carbon monoxide (CO) is proposed as a physiological messenger. CO activates cGMP and has a direct effect on potassium channels. Both actions of CO lead to hyperpolarization of a cell's resting membrane potential, suggesting that CO may function as a hyperpolarizing factor, although direct evidence is still lacking. Here we take advantage of the known membrane potential gradient that exists in the muscle layers of the gastrointestinal tract to determine whether CO is an endogenous hyperpolarizing factor. We find that heme oxygenase-2-null mice have depolarized smooth muscle cells and that the membrane potential gradient in the gut is abolished. Exogenous CO hyperpolarizes the membrane potential. Regions of the canine gastrointestinal tract that are more hyperpolarized generate more CO and have higher heme oxygenase activity than more depolarized regions. Our results suggest that CO is a critical hyperpolarizing factor required for the maintenance of intestinal smooth muscle membrane potential and gradient.

Effects of hypoxia on heme oxygenase expression in human chorionic villi explants and immortalized trophoblast cells

Although hypoxia induces heme oxygenase (HO)-1 protein and mRNA expression in many cell types, hypoxia has also been shown to decrease HO-1 mRNA and protein expression. We tested the hypothesis that 24-h preexposure to hypoxia in human placental preparations suppresses HO protein expression and enzymatic function. Immortalized HTR-8/SVneo first-trimester trophoblast cells and explants of normal human chorionic villi (CV) from term placentas were cultured for 24 h in 1%, 5%, or 20% O(2). HO protein levels were determined by Western blot analysis, and microsomal HO activity was measured. HO-2 protein content was decreased by 17% and 5% in human trophoblast cells after 24-h exposure to 1% and 5% O(2), respectively, versus 20% O(2). In contrast, HO-2 protein content in CV explants was unaffected by changes in oxygenation. HO-1 protein content, which was barely detectable in both biological systems, was not affected by changes in oxygenation. Similarly, HO enzymatic activity was unchanged in both preparations after 24-h exposure to 1%, 5%, or 20% O(2). The above data do not support the hypothesis that hypoxia in the human placenta suppresses both HO protein content and HO protein function. The present observations reinforce the necessity to determine both HO protein expression and function.

Endogenous carbon monoxide is an endothelial-derived vasodilator factor in the mesenteric circulation

Chronic hypoxia (CH) is associated with both blunted agonist-induced and myogenic vascular reactivity, possibly due to an enhanced production of heme oxygenase (HO)-derived carbon monoxide (CO). However, the cellular location of the HO responsible for these effects has not been clearly established. Therefore, we examined the response to administration of the substrate for HO, heme-l-lysinate (HLL), in endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded small mesenteric arteries from CH male Sprague-Dawley rats. Mesenteric arteries were isolated and mounted on glass cannulas, pressurized to 60 mmHg, and superfused with physiological saline solution. All experiments were performed in the presence of 100 microM N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine. The vasodilator response to HLL or exogenous CO was examined. HLL experiments were performed in the presence and absence of the HO inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX). HLL administration resulted in a dose-dependent vasodilator response that was abolished in the presence of ZnPPIX or by endothelial removal. Exogenous CO produced a vasodilator response that was independent of an intact endothelium. Cellular localization of HO was verified through immunohistochemistry in sections of the gut and aorta from CH and control animals. Staining for HO-1, HO-2, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase was confined to the endothelium. Thus we conclude that CO is a product of HO located within the endothelium.

Changes of heme oxygenase-carbon monoxide system in vascular calcification in rats

The aim of the present study was to investigate the change in heme oxygenase (HO)-carbon monoxide (CO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway in vascular calcification. Vascular calcification model was established in rats by using vitamin D(3) and nicotine. Vascular calcium content, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, HO activity, HbCO formation and content of cGMP in vessels were measured. Immunochemistry (IH) for HO 1 expression and in situ hybridization (ISH) for HO 1 mRNA were observed. Compared to those of control rats, the aortic calcium content and vascular ALP activity in rats of the calcified group (VDN group) were obviously increased, but HO 1 activity, CO concentration and cGMP content in vessels of rats in VDN group were markedly decreased. Expressions of HO-1 protein and mRNA were significantly decreased compared to control rats. Vascular calcification might induce a down regulation in vascular HO-CO-cGMP pathway.

Modulation of cGMP by human HO-1 retrovirus gene transfer in pulmonary microvessel endothelial cells

Carbon monoxide (CO) stimulates guanylate cyclase (GC) and increases guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) levels. We transfected rat-lung pulmonary endothelial cells with a retrovirus-mediated human heme oxygenase (hHO)-1 gene. Pulmonary cells that expressed hHO-1 exhibited a fourfold increase in HO activity associated with decreases in the steady-state levels of heme and cGMP without changes in soluble GC (sGC) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) proteins or basal nitrite production. Heme elicited significant increases in CO production and intracellular cGMP levels in both pulmonary endothelial and pulmonary hHO-1-expressing cells. N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of NOS, significantly decreased cGMP levels in heme-treated pulmonary endothelial cells but not heme-treated hHO-1-expressing cells. In the presence of exogenous heme, CO and cGMP levels in hHO-1-expressing cells exceeded the corresponding levels in pulmonary endothelial cells. Acute exposure of endothelial cells to SnCl2, which is an inducer of HO-1, increased cGMP levels, whereas chronic exposure decreased heme and cGMP levels. These results indicate that prolonged overexpression of HO-1 ultimately decreases sGC activity by limiting the availability of cellular heme. Heme activates sGC and enhances cGMP levels via a mechanism that is largely insensitive to NOS inhibition.

Carbon monoxide and bile pigments: surprising mediators of vascular function

Heme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the degradation of heme to CO, iron, and biliverdin. Biliverdin is subsequently metabolized to bilirubin by the enzyme biliverdin reductase. Although long considered irrelevant byproducts of heme catabolism, recent studies indicate that CO and the bile pigments biliverdin and bilirubin may play an important physiological role in the circulation. The release of CO by vascular cells may modulate blood flow and blood fluidity by inhibiting vasomotor tone, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and platelet aggregation. CO may also maintain the integrity of the vessel wall by directly blocking vascular cell apoptosis and by inhibiting the release of pro-apoptotic inflammatory cytokines from the vessel wall. These effects of CO are mediated via multiple pathways, including activation of soluble guanylate cyclase, potassium channels, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, or inhibition of cytochrome P450. In addition, the release of bile pigments may serve to sustain vascular homeostasis by protecting vascular cells from oxidative stress and by inhibiting the adhesion and infiltration of leukocytes into the vessel wall. Induction of HO-1 gene expression and the subsequent release of CO and bile pigments are observed in numerous vascular disorders and may provide an important adaptive mechanism to preserve homeostasis at sites of vascular injury. Thus, the HO-catalyzed formation of CO and bile pigments by vascular cells may function as a critical endogenous vasoprotective system. Moreover, pharmacological or genetic approaches targeting HO-1 to the vessel wall may represent a novel therapeutic approach in treating vascular disease.

Heme oxygenase activity in placenta: direct dependence on oxygen availability

Carbon monoxide (CO), which is formed endogenously from heme catalyzed by heme oxygenase (HO), is proposed to play a role in vascular control. The mRNA and protein expression of the inducible isoform of HO (HO-1) increases in response to hypoxia, and it has been assumed that HO activity also increases. This assumption requires evaluation because the catalytic activity of HO requires three molecules of O(2) for each molecule of CO formed from heme, and HO activity may be limited by O(2) availability. To test the hypothesis that low physiological O(2) concentrations limit HO activity, heme-derived CO formation by microsomal fractions of homogenates of chorionic villi of human placentas was determined after exposure to 0, 1, 5, or 21% O(2). Results revealed that HO activity was directly dependent on O(2) concentration. Thus, although hypoxia may increase HO protein and mRNA expression, there is a progressive decrease in HO activity with decreasing O(2) concentration and the dependence of HO activity on O(2) concentration is similar in chorionic villi from noninfarcted areas of preeclamptic and normotensive placenta.

Homogeneous segmental profile of carbon monoxide-mediated pulmonary vasodilation in rats

Carbon monoxide (CO) has been proposed to attenuate the vasoconstrictor response to local hypoxia that contributes to pulmonary hypertension. However, the segmental response to CO, as well as its mechanism of action in the pulmonary circulation, has not been fully defined. To investigate the hemodynamic response to exogenous CO, lungs from male Sprague-Dawley rats were perfused with physiological saline solution. Measurements were made of pulmonary arterial, venous, and capillary pressures. Lungs were constricted with the thromboxane mimetic U-46619. To examine the vasodilatory response to CO, 500 microl of CO-equilibrated physiological saline solution or vehicle were injected into the arterial line. Additionally, CO and vehicle responses were examined in the presence of the soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ; 10 microM) or the larger conductance calcium-activated K(+) (BK(Ca)) channel blockers tetraethylammonium chloride (10 mM) and iberiotoxin (100 nM). CO administration decreased vascular resistance to a similar degree in both vascular segments. This vasodilatory response was completely abolished in lungs pretreated with ODQ. Furthermore, CO administration increased whole lung cGMP content, which was prevented by ODQ. Neither tetraethylammonium chloride nor iberiotoxin affected the CO response. We conclude that exogenous CO administration causes vasodilation in the pulmonary vasculature via a soluble guanylyl cyclase-dependent mechanism that does not likely involve activation of K(Ca) channels.

Cerebral vascular endothelial heme oxygenase: expression, localization, and activation by glutamate

Endogenous carbon monoxide (CO) contributes to vasodilator responses of cerebral microvessels in newborn pigs. We investigated the expression, intracellular localization, and activity of heme oxygenase (HO), the key enzyme in CO production, in quiescent cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (CMVEC) from newborn pigs. HO-1 and HO-2 isoforms were detected by RT-PCR, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence. HO-1 and HO-2 are membrane-bound proteins that have a strong preference for the nuclear envelope and perinuclear area of the cytoplasm. Betamethasone (10(-6) to 10(-4) M for 48 h) was associated with upregulation of HO-2 protein by approximately 50% and inhibition of Cox-2 but did not alter HO-1 or endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in CMVEC. In vivo betamethasone treatment of newborn pigs (0.2 and 5.0 mg/kg im for 48 h) upregulated HO-2 in cerebral microvessels by 30-60%. HO activity as (14)CO production from [(14)C]glycine-labeled endogenous heme was inhibited by chromium mesoporphyrin (10(-6) to 10(-4) M). L-Glutamate (0.3-1.0 mM) stimulated HO activity 1.5-fold. High-affinity specific binding sites for L-[(3)H]glutamate suggestive of the glutamate receptors were detected in CMVEC. Altogether, these data suggest that, in cerebral circulation of newborn pigs, endothelium-derived CO may contribute to basal vascular tone and to responses that involve glutamate receptor activation.

The vasorelaxation of cerebral arteries by carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is known to increase cerebral blood flow, but the effect of CO on the vascular tone of large cerebral arteries is uncertain. We tested whether CO affects cerebral artery tone by measuring tension generated by ex vivo segments of dog basilar artery upon exposure to CO. In cerebral artery segments contracted with either KCl or prostaglandin F(2alpha), CO caused a concentration-related relaxation beginning with a concentration of 57 microM. Relaxation did not occur if CO was administered in the presence of bubbling carboxygen (95% O(2):5% CO(2)), which reduces greater than 99% of CO from the solution. Furthermore, the CO-induced relaxation of cerebral artery segments was reduced in the presence of the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 10 microM)or the potassium channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA, 1 mM). Neither ODQ nor TEA completely eliminated the relaxation caused by CO and there was no additive effect if ODQ and TEA were administered together. These results suggest that cerebral arteries are directly relaxed by CO and that this relaxation depends upon the activation of guanylyl cyclase and the opening of potassium channels.

Haem oxygenase activity in human umbilical cord and rat vascular tissues

Carbon monoxide (CO) has been shown to affect vascular tone in smooth muscle cells and thus, may regulate regional or systemic blood pressure as well as fetoplacental vascular tone and fetal blood delivery. To assess the potential of vascular tissue to produce CO, we determined haem oxygenase (HO) activity through in vitro quantitation of CO production with gas chromatography and its inhibition by 33-66 microm of chromium mesoporphyrin (CrMP) in homogenate preparations of rat aorta and vena cava and human umbilical cord tissues. We compared these results to HO activity in rat heart and liver. We also discuss normalization of HO activity on a per mg protein as well as per g fresh weight (FW) tissue basis. We found that both rat vascular tissue HO activities (per g FW) were equal, but greater than that of heart (x3) and less than that of liver (x0.2). For human cord tissues, HO activities of artery and vein were equal, but greater than that of Wharton's jelly. Also, HO activity in rat vascular tissues was 3x greater than that of the human cord tissues. HO activity was completely inhibited by CrMP in rat heart (90 per cent) and liver (96 per cent), but incompletely (50-66 per cent) in both rat and human vascular tissues. We established that it is unlikely that other non-haem CO-generating processes account for this unique insensitivity of HO to CrMP inhibition. In fact, high concentrations of other potent metalloporphyrin inhibitors affected vascular tissue HO even less. We found that the degree of in vitro HO inhibition appeared to be related to the concentration of haem in the reaction medium. We conclude that the presence of HO activity in cord tissues supports the possibility that CO plays a role in fetoplacental blood flow regulation.

Potentiation of carbon monoxide-induced relaxation of rat aorta by YC-1 [3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'-furyl)-1-benzylindazole]

The hypothesis that endogenous carbon monoxide (CO), produced during the oxidation of heme catalyzed by heme oxygenase (HO), plays a role similar to that of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of cardiovascular tone has been criticized because of the low potency of CO compared with NO in relaxing blood vessels and stimulating soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC). This criticism has been muted by the demonstration that, in the presence of YC-1 [3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'-furyl)-1-benzylindazole], CO has similar potency to NO in stimulating sGC activity. In this study, we determined that YC-1 potentiated CO-induced relaxation of rat aortic strips (RtAS) by approximately ten-fold. Furthermore, CO-induced relaxation of RtAS was shown to be mediated through stimulation of sGC because vasorelaxation was inhibited by ODQ (1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one), a selective sGC inhibitor, in the absence and presence of YC-1. A gas chromatographic-headspace method was used to measure CO concentration in Krebs' solution following the addition of CO-saturated saline solution to the tissue bath, in order to provide an accurate determination of RtAS exposure to CO. The tissue bath concentration of CO was shown to be approximately one-half of that calculated to be present. We conclude that should an endogenous compound exist with properties similar to that of YC-1, then the potency of CO as a vasorelaxant in the presence of this factor would be increased. As a consequence, CO could play a role in the regulation of cardiovascular tone, comparable to that of NO.Key words: carbon monoxide; YC-1 [3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'-furyl)-1-benzylindazole]; vasodilation; rat aorta; gas-chromatographic analysis.

Carbon monoxide induces vasodilation and nitric oxide release but suppresses endothelial NOS

The vascular effects of carbon monoxide (CO) resemble those of nitric oxide (NO), but it is unknown whether the two messengers converge or exhibit reciprocal feedback regulation. These questions were examined in microdissected perfused renal resistance arteries (RRA) studied using NO-sensitive microelectrodes. Perfusion of RRA with buffers containing increasing concentrations of CO resulted in a biphasic release of NO. The NO response peaked at 100 nM CO and then declined to virtually zero at 10 microM. When a series of 50-s pulses of 100 nM CO were applied repeatedly (150-s interval), the amplitude of consecutive NO responses was diminished. NO release from RRA showed dependence on L-arginine but not D-arginine, and the responses to CO were inhibited by pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of NO synthases (NOS). CO (100 nM) also suppressed NO release induced by 100 microM carbachol, a potent agonist for endothelial NOS (eNOS). RRA from rats in which endogenous CO production from inducible HO was elevated (cobalt chloride 12 h prior to study) also showed suppressed responses to carbachol. Furthermore, responses consistent with these findings were obtained in juxtamedullary afferent arterioles perfused in vitro, where the vasodilatory response to CO was biphasic and the response to acetylcholine was blunted. Collectively, these data suggest that the CO-induced NO release could be attributed to either stimulation of eNOS or to NO displacement from a cellular storage pool. To address this, direct in vitro measurements with an NO-selective electrode of NO production by recombinant eNOS revealed that CO dose-dependently inhibits NO synthesis. Together, the above data demonstrate that, whereas high levels of CO inhibit NOS activity and NO generation, lower concentrations of CO induce release of NO from a large intracellular pool and, therefore, may mimic the vascular effects of NO.

Interaction of heme oxygenase-2 with nitric oxide donors. Is the oxygenase an intracellular 'sink' for NO?

Heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2) is the constitutive cognate of the heat-shock protein-32 family of proteins. These proteins catalyze oxidative cleavage of heme to CO and biliverdin, and release Fe. HO-2 is a hemoprotein and binds heme at heme regulatory motifs (HRMs) with a conserved Cys-Pro pair; two copies of HRM are present in HO-2 (Cys264 and Cys281). The HO-2 HRMs are not present in HO-1 and are not involved in HO-2 catalytic activity. Optical CD, and spectral and activity analyses were used to examine reactivity of HO isozymes with NO species produced by NO donors. Purified Escherichia coli-expressed HO preparations, wild-type HO-2, Cys264/Cys281 --> Ala/Ala HO-2-mutant (HO-2-mut) and HO-1 preparations were used. A type II change (red shift) of the Soret band (405 nm --> 413-419 nm) was observed when wild-type HO-2 was treated with sodium nitroprusside (SNP), S-nitroglutathione (GSNO), S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) or 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1); the NO scavenger, hydroxocobalamin (HCB) prevented the shift. Only SIN-1, which produces peroxynitrite by generating both NO and superoxide anion, decreased the Soret region absorption and the pyridine hemochromogen spectrum of HO-2; superoxide dismutase (SOD) blocked the decrease. Binding of heme to HO-2 protein was required for shift and/or decrease in absorption of the Soret band. NO donors significantly inhibited HO-2 activity, with SNP being the most potent inhibitor (> 40%). Again, trapping NO with HCB blocked HO-2 inactivation. HO-1 and HO-2-mut were not inactivated by NO donors. CD data suggest that the decrease in HO-2 activity was not related to change by NO species of the secondary structure of HO-2. Western blot analysis suggests that NO donors did not cause HO-1 protein loss and Northern blot analysis of HeLa cells treated with SIN-1 and SNP indicates that, unlike HO-1 mRNA, which is remarkably responsive to the treatments, HO-2 mRNA levels were modestly increased ( approximately two to threefold) by NO donors. The data are consistent with the possibility that NO interaction with HO-2-bound heme effects electronic interactions of residues involved in substrate binding and/or oxygen activation. The findings permit the hypothesis that HO-2 and NO are trans-inhibitors, whereby biological activity of NO is attenuated by interaction with HO-2, serving as an intracellular 'sink' for the heme ligand, and NO inhibits HO-2 catalytic activity. As such, the cellular level of both signaling molecules, CO and NO would be moderated.

Heme oxygenase and nitric oxide synthase in the placenta of the guinea-pig during gestation

Nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) are novel gaseous chemical messengers that play key roles in cell function and cell-cell communication in many organ systems, including the cardiovascular system. Although the presence of NO synthase (NOS) in the placenta and its role in the regulation of fetoplacental and uteroplacental blood flow are well established, little is known about placental expression and activity of heme oxygenase (HO), the enzyme that catalyses the oxidation of heme to CO, biliverdin and iron, during gestation. The objectives of this study were to elucidate the localization of HO-1 and HO-2 isoforms relative to NOS III protein, and to determine the enzymatic activity of HO in the placenta of the guinea-pig during gestation. Placentae were obtained from pregnant guinea-pigs at gestational day (GD) 34, 50, 62 and full term (term, about GD 68). Immunohistochemical localization of HO-1, HO-2 and NOS III protein was conducted using selective polyclonal antibodies. HO activity was determined by using a gas chromatographic method to measure the rate of formation of CO from heme. Faint staining for HO-1 was observed in the adventitial layer of larger fetal blood vessels of the placenta at GD 34. The intensity of this staining was higher at GD 50 and GD 62, and decreased at full term. Similar areas in serial sections of placentae obtained at these selected times during gestation exhibited lower staining intensity when incubated with anti-HO-2 antiserum. Placental HO activity was significantly increased (P<0.05) at GD 62 compared with GD 34, GD 50 and full term. NOS III (endothelial constitutive NOS) staining was highest at GD 34, decreasing thereafter, and was localized mostly to trophoblast lining maternal channels. The data demonstrate that, in the guinea-pig, placental HO and NOS differ in tissue localization during the second half of gestation, with expression of HO protein and its catalytic activity being higher during near-term pregnancy. In a preliminary immunohistochemical investigation of the full-term human placenta, HO-1 protein was localized primarily in the adventitial region of fetal blood vessels of stem chorionic villi. In view of the vasodilator action of CO and NO, the HO and NOS systems may play key roles in the regulation of placental haemodynamics.