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Gambardella J, Khondkar W, Morelli MB, Wang X, Santulli G, Trimarco V. Arginine and Endothelial Function. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8080277. [PMID: 32781796 PMCID: PMC7460461 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8080277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Arginine (L-arginine), is an amino acid involved in a number of biological processes, including the biosynthesis of proteins, host immune response, urea cycle, and nitric oxide production. In this systematic review, we focus on the functional role of arginine in the regulation of endothelial function and vascular tone. Both clinical and preclinical studies are examined, analyzing the effects of arginine supplementation in hypertension, ischemic heart disease, aging, peripheral artery disease, and diabetes mellitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gambardella
- Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiology), Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine—Montefiore University Hospital, New York City, NY 10461, USA; (J.G.); (W.K.); (M.B.M.); (X.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, “Federico II” University, 80131 Naples, Italy
- International Translational Research and Medical Education (ITME), 80100 Naples, Italy
| | - Wafiq Khondkar
- Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiology), Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine—Montefiore University Hospital, New York City, NY 10461, USA; (J.G.); (W.K.); (M.B.M.); (X.W.)
| | - Marco Bruno Morelli
- Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiology), Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine—Montefiore University Hospital, New York City, NY 10461, USA; (J.G.); (W.K.); (M.B.M.); (X.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY 10461, USA
| | - Xujun Wang
- Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiology), Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine—Montefiore University Hospital, New York City, NY 10461, USA; (J.G.); (W.K.); (M.B.M.); (X.W.)
| | - Gaetano Santulli
- Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiology), Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine—Montefiore University Hospital, New York City, NY 10461, USA; (J.G.); (W.K.); (M.B.M.); (X.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, “Federico II” University, 80131 Naples, Italy
- International Translational Research and Medical Education (ITME), 80100 Naples, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Valentina Trimarco
- Department of Neuroscience, “Federico II” University, 80131 Naples, Italy;
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Lai FJ, Huang SS, Hsieh MC, Hsin SC, Wu CH, Hsin YC, Shin SJ. Upregulation of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase mRNA and Protein in Adrenal Medulla of Water-deprived Rats. J Histochem Cytochem 2016; 53:45-53. [PMID: 15637337 DOI: 10.1177/002215540505300106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiments were performed to investigate whether adrenal neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) mRNA and protein expression are responsive to alterations in body volume. Using an RT-PCR technique, the relative quantities of nNOS mRNA as well as the tyrosine hydroxylase and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase mRNA in the adrenals of water-deprived rats significantly increased from 12 hr to 4 days. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical study showed that water deprivation activated nNOS mRNA and protein expression in the adrenal medulla. Four days after water deprivation, nNOS protein expression determined by Western blot significantly increased in the adrenal gland. Our results are the first to demonstrate that nNOS syntheses in the adrenal medulla are markedly increased in water-deprived rats. This study also indicates that the upregulation of nNOS synthesis of the adrenal medulla is associated with the activation of adrenal medullary function in the face of volume depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Jie Lai
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung , Taiwan
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Zheng H, Liu X, Patel KP. Centrally mediated erectile dysfunction in rats with type 1 diabetes: role of angiotensin II and superoxide. J Sex Med 2013; 10:2165-76. [PMID: 23841890 DOI: 10.1111/jsm.12248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Erectile dysfunction is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus. Apart from the peripheral actions, central mechanisms are also responsible for penile erection. AIM This study aims to determine the contribution of angiotensin (ANG) II in the dysfunction of central N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)- and nitric oxide (NO)-induced erectile responses in streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic (T1D) rats. METHODS Three weeks after streptozotocin injections, rats were randomly treated with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-enalapril, or the ANG II type 1 receptor blocker, losartan, or the superoxide dismutase mimetic, tempol, or vehicle via chronic intracerebroventricular infusion by osmotic mini-pump for 2 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Central NMDA receptor stimulation or the administration of the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced penile erectile responses and concurrent behavioral responses were monitored in conscious rats. RESULTS Two weeks of enalapril, losartan, or tempol treatment significantly improved the erectile responses to central microinjection of both NMDA and SNP in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of conscious T1D rats (NMDA responses-T1D+enalapril: 1.7 ± 0.6, T1D+losartan: 2.0 ± 0.3, T1D+tempol: 2.0 ± 0.6 vs. T1D+vehicle: 0.6 ± 0.3 penile erections/rat in the first 20 minutes, P < 0.05; SNP responses-T1D+enalapril: 0.9 ± 0.3, T1D+losartan: 1.3 ± 0.3, T1D+tempol: 1.4 ± 0.4 vs. T1D+vehicle: 0.4 ± 0.2 penile erections/rat in the first 20 minutes, P < 0.05). Concurrent behavioral responses including yawning and stretching, induced by central NMDA and SNP microinjections, were also significantly increased in T1D rats after enalapril, losartan, or tempol treatments. Neuronal NO synthase expression within the PVN was also significantly increased, and superoxide production was reduced in T1D rats after these treatments. CONCLUSIONS These data strongly support the contention that enhanced ANG II mechanism/s within the PVN of T1D rats contributes to the dysfunction of central NMDA-induced erectile responses in T1D rats via stimulation of superoxide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zheng
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
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Whidden MA, Kirichenko N, Halici Z, Erdos B, Foster TC, Tümer N. Lifelong caloric restriction prevents age-induced oxidative stress in the sympathoadrenal system of Fischer 344 x Brown Norway rats. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2011; 408:454-8. [PMID: 21527245 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.04.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2011] [Accepted: 04/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aging is associated with oxidative damage and an imbalance in redox signaling in a variety of tissues, yet little is known about the extent of age-induced oxidative stress in the sympathoadrenal system. Lifelong caloric restriction has been shown to lower levels of oxidative stress and slow the aging process. Therefore, the aims of this study were twofold: (1) to investigate the effect of aging on oxidative stress in the adrenal medulla and hypothalamus and (2) determine if lifelong 40% caloric restriction (CR) reverses the adverse effects of age-induced oxidative stress in the sympathetic adrenomedullary system. Adult (18months) and very old (38months) male Fischer 344 x Brown Norway rats were divided into ad libitum or 40% CR groups and parameters of oxidative stress were analyzed in the adrenal medulla and the hypothalamus. A significant age-dependent increase in lipid peroxidation (+20%, P<0.05) and tyrosine nitration (+111%, P<0.001) were observed in the adrenal medulla while age resulted in a reduction in the protein expression of key antioxidant enzymes, CuZnSOD (-27%, P<0.01) and catalase (-27%, P<0.05) in the hypothalamus. Lifelong CR completely prevented the age-induced increase in lipid peroxidation in the adrenal medulla and restored the age-related decline in antioxidant enzymes in the hypothalamus. These data indicate that aging results in a significant increase in oxidative stress in the sympathoadrenal system. Importantly, lifelong CR restored the age-related changes in oxidative stress in the adrenal medulla and hypothalamus. Caloric restriction could be a potential non-pharmacological intervention to prevent increased oxidative stress in the sympathetic adrenomedullary system with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Whidden
- Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States.
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Control of systemic and pulmonary blood pressure by nitric oxide formed through neuronal nitric oxide synthase. J Hypertens 2010; 27:1929-40. [PMID: 19587610 DOI: 10.1097/hjh.0b013e32832e8ddf] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Nitric oxide formed by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the brain, autonomic inhibitory (nitrergic) nerves, and heart plays important roles in the control of blood pressure. Activation of nitrergic nerves innervating the systemic vasculature elicits vasodilatation, decreases peripheral resistance, and lowers blood pressure. Impairment of nitrergic nerve function, as well as endothelial dysfunction, results in systemic and pulmonary hypertension and decreased regional blood flow. Blockade of nNOS activity in the brain, particularly the medulla and hypothalamus, causes systemic hypertension. Under hypertensive states, such as those in spontaneously hypertensive and Dahl salt-sensitive rats, the expression of the nNOS gene in the brain is increased; this appears to counteract the activated sympathetic function in the vasomotor center. The present article summarizes information concerning the modulation of systemic and pulmonary hypertension through nNOS-derived nitric oxide produced in the brain and periphery.
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Lai FJ, Hsin YC, Huang SC, Cheng CL, Hsin SC, Hsieh MC, Shin SJ. Down-regulation of adrenal neuronal nitric oxide synthase mRNAs and proteins after deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt treatment in rats. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2006; 101:197-203. [PMID: 16965914 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2006.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2006] [Accepted: 06/28/2006] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible changes of adrenal neuronal nitrite oxide synthase (nNOS) messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein of rats after deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt treatment. We determined adrenal nNOS expression in 12 vehicle-treated and 13 DOCA-salt-treated rats by in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and multiplex RT-PCR methods. Adrenal nNOS was also detected by Western blot in five vehicle-treated and five DOCA-salt-treated rats. The results showed that adrenal nNOS mRNA and nNOS immunoreactivities were mainly localized in the medulla and some in the regions of zona glomerulosa. DOCA-salt treatment inactivated nNOS mRNA and peptide expression prominent in the adrenal medulla and slight in the zona glomerulosa. The relative quantities of nNOS mRNA in the adrenals of the DOCA-salt-treated group was 8.8-fold decreased. At the same time, the relative quantities of steroid acute regulatory protein mRNA and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase mRNA in the adrenals of the DOCA-salt-treated group were significantly decreased. Western blots showed that total adrenal nNOS were 3.7-fold down-regulated after DOCA-salt treatment. Our results indicated that the down-regulation of adrenal nNOS synthesis might be associated with the inactivation of adrenal function in face of volume expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Jie Lai
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Häuser W, Sassmann A, Qadri F, Jöhren O, Dominiak P. Expression of nitric oxide synthase isoforms in hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis during the development of spontaneous hypertension in rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 138:198-204. [PMID: 15913838 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbrainres.2005.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2004] [Revised: 03/22/2005] [Accepted: 04/18/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
This study was performed to investigate the expression of the major isoforms of nitric oxide synthase mRNA and protein in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) at two different postnatal ages corresponding to the development of genetic hypertension. Using RT-PCR and Western blot techniques, the mRNA and protein levels of neuronal (nNOS), endothelial (eNOS) and inducible (iNOS) isoforms were measured in 3- to 4-week-old (prehypertensive phase) and 12- to 13-week-old (established hypertension phase) SHR and age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. nNOS but not eNOS mRNA levels were increased at prehypertensive and hypertensive phases in SHR HPA axis. Compared to age-matched WKY rats, significantly higher levels of nNOS protein were found in the hypothalamus, lower levels in the adrenal glands and no changes were observed in the pituitary gland. At both ages tested, there was no significant change in eNOS protein expression in SHR HPA axis. The expression of iNOS mRNA and protein was under detection limit. In the HPA axis, the expression of nNOS isoform appears to be differentially controlled at the transcriptional and translational levels in SHR. Increased mRNA levels and differential nNOS protein expression from birth in SHR HPA axis may contribute in the pathogenesis of genetic hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Häuser
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany
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Okano H, Masuda H, Ohkubo C. Effects of 25 mT static magnetic field on blood pressure in reserpine-induced hypotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. Bioelectromagnetics 2004; 26:36-48. [PMID: 15605399 DOI: 10.1002/bem.20052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the interrelated antihypotensive effects of static magnetic fields (SMF) and plasma catecholamine levels in reserpine-induced hypotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. Seven-week-old male rats were exposed to two different ranges of SMF intensities, 3.0-10 mT (Bmax) or 7.5-25 mT (Bmax) for 12 weeks. Six experimental groups of 10 animals each were examined: (1) no exposure with intraperitoneal (ip) saline injection (sham exposed control); (2) 10 mT SMF exposure with ip saline injection (10 mT); (3) 25 mT SMF exposure with ip saline injection (25 mT); (4) no exposure with ip reserpine injection (RES); (5) 10 mT SMF exposure with ip reserpine injection (10 mT + RES); (6) 25 mT SMF exposure with ip reserpine injection (25 mT + RES). Reserpine (5 mg/kg) was administered three times a week for 12 weeks, and 18 h after each injection, arterial blood pressure (BP), heart rate, skin blood flow, plasma nitric oxide metabolites, plasma catecholamine levels, and behavioral parameters of a functional observational battery (FOB) were monitored. The action of reserpine significantly decreased BP, reduced plasma norepinephrine (NE), increased the FOB hunched posture score and decreased the number of rearing events in the RES group, compared with the respective age-matched control group. Exposure to 25 mT, but not 10 mT, for 2-12 weeks significantly prevented the reserpine-induced decrease of BP in the 25 mT + RES group compared with the respective RES group. Moreover, exposure to 25 mT for 5 weeks partially suppressed the reserpine-induced NE reduction, but did not bring about a complete reversal of reserpine effects. NE levels for the 25 mT + RES group for 5 weeks were significantly higher compared with the RES group, but still lower compared with the control group. In addition, the FOB hunched posture score for the 25 mT + RES group was significantly lower and the number of rearing events was higher compared with the RES group, but these behavioral parameters did not revert to control levels. There were no significant differences in any of the physiological or behavioral parameters measured between the 10 mT + RES and RES groups, nor between the two different SMF groups and the control group. These results indicate that 25 mT SMF with spatial gradients significantly suppressed the reserpine-induced hypotension and bradykinesia. The antihypotensive effects of SMF on the reserpine-treated group might be at least partially related to the inhibition of NE depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Public Health, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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Vicente S, González MP, Oset-Gasque MJ. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase modulates basal catecholamine secretion in bovine chromaffin cells. J Neurosci Res 2002; 69:327-40. [PMID: 12125074 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.10222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The role of endogenously produced nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of basal catecholamine (CA) secretion was studied in chromaffin cells. Treatment of chromaffin cells with nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors produced a dose-dependent increase in basal catecholamine secretion, which paralleled their ability to inhibit NOS activity. This inhibitory profile was similar to that found in neurons, suggesting the constitutive expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS) in these cells, which was confirmed by Western blot analysis. A study of the kinetics and pharmacology of nNOS activity expressed in chromaffin cells in culture indicated that NOS activity is calcium-dependent, increases with time, and is highly dependent on both intracellular concentrations of L-arginine (K(m) approximately 4 microM, V(max) = 908 +/- 60 pmol/hr x 10(6) cells) and transport of L-arginine into the cells (exhibiting two affinity constants of k(1) = 3.2 +/- 0.3 microM and k(2) = 126 +/- 5.5 microM). The effects of NOS inhibitors on CA secretion were mediated by the L-arginine-NO-cGMP pathway, insofar as exogenous L-arginine was able to partially block the increase in CA secretion evoked by them, and 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxaline-1-one (ODQ), a specific inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, and zaprinast, an inhibitor of the cGMP phosphodiesterase, were able to increase and inhibit, respectively, basal CA secretion in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that chromaffin cells exhibit a tonic production of NO by nNOS that keeps the basal CA secretion at low levels, and this could be necessary for maintaining a normotensive state.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Vicente
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
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Qadri F, Arens T, Schwartz EC, Häuser W, Dominiak P. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and AT1-receptor antagonist restore nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and neuronal NOS expression in the adrenal glands of spontaneously hypertensive rats. JAPANESE JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY 2001; 85:365-9. [PMID: 11388639 DOI: 10.1254/jjp.85.365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
During development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats, the activity of adrenal nitric oxide synthase (NOS) was investigated. SHR and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were studied at different ages: 3-4, 7-8 and 12-13 weeks after birth. Basal NOS activity was measured by the ability of homogenate to convert [3H]-L-arginine to [3H]-L-citrulline. At all ages, SHR rats exhibited 50-60% reduction in NOS activity when compared to age-matched WKY rats. In a following study, SHR rats (12-13 weeks) were treated chronically with the angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) captopril or enalapril, or the AT1-receptor antagonist losartan (2 x 25, 10 and 60 mg/kg per day for 10 days, respectively). The total NOS activity and protein expression of NOS isoenzymes from adrenals were determined. The basal NOS activity and protein expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS) was significantly increased in treated SHR rats when compared to control rats. The isoforms endothelial NOS and inducible NOS were undetectable. We conclude that impaired NO synthesis in the adrenal glands of SHR rats may contribute to the onset and maintenance of hypertension. The upregulation of nNOS protein in the adrenal glands may be one of the mechanisms by which ACE inhibitors and AT1-receptor antagonists by restoring the NO synthesis, mediate their antihypertensive effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Qadri
- Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical University of Lübeck, Germany.
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Matsuoka Y, Aimi Y, Kimura H, Taniguchi T, Oomura Y, Sasaki K, Tooyama I. Demonstration of Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor(FGF-1) in Rat Adrenal Gland. Acta Histochem Cytochem 2001. [DOI: 10.1267/ahc.34.129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuji Matsuoka
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science
| | - Yoshinari Aimi
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science
| | - Hiroshi Kimura
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science
| | | | - Yutaka Oomura
- Institute of Bio-Active Science, Nippon Zoki Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.,
| | - Kazuo Sasaki
- Division of Bio-Information Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Toyama University
| | - Ikuo Tooyama
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science
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Takimoto Y, Aoyama T, Keyamura R, Shinoda E, Hattori R, Yui Y, Sasayama S. Differential expression of three types of nitric oxide synthase in both infarcted and non-infarcted left ventricles after myocardial infarction in the rat. Int J Cardiol 2000; 76:135-45. [PMID: 11104868 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-5273(00)00394-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In the present report we investigated the differential expression of three types of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the left ventricle after myocardial infarction in rats. One, 3, 7, 14, 28 and 56 days (n=6-12 for each group) after ligation of a coronary artery, tissue samples were obtained from infarcted and non-infarcted tissues. The mRNA and protein levels of neuronal (n) NOS, endothelial (e) NOS and inducible (i) NOS were sequentially determined by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Progressive left ventricular dilatation and gradual reduction in fractional shortening were confirmed by echocardiography. The expression levels of nNOS were significantly increased 1, 3 and 7 days post-infarct compared to those of sham-operated rats in both the infarcted (P<0.01) and non-infarcted regions (P<0.01). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that nNOS was localized in nerve fibers in the left ventricle and that the number of positive fibers after myocardial infarction had increased compared to that in sham-operated rats. With regard to eNOS, no significant changes in expression levels were detected between infarcted hearts and sham-operated controls. The level of iNOS expression peaked three days post-infarct and then decreased in the infarcted tissue, whereas it increased one day post-infarct, peaked at 14 and 28 days post-infarct and was still elevated in the chronic stage in the ventricular septum. iNOS immunoreactivity was detected in spared cardiomyocytes and macrophages in the infarcted region, and in cardiomyocytes in the ventricular septum. The expressions of three types of NOS were differentially regulated and iNOS produced in the non-infarcted region may contribute to the progression of heart failure after myocardial infarction in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Takimoto
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Kawaracho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, 606-8507, Kyoto, Japan.
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Oka M, Hirouchi M, Itoh Y, Ukai Y. Involvement of peroxynitrite and hydroxyradical generated from nitric oxide in hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in rat cerebrocortical slices. Neuropharmacology 2000; 39:1319-30. [PMID: 10760374 DOI: 10.1016/s0028-3908(99)00197-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The changes in nitric oxide (NO) formation during hypoxia and reoxygenation were measured in slices of rat cerebral cortex, and the possible involvement of NO and its decomposition products, including peroxynitrite and hydroxyradical, in the hypoxia/reoxygenation injury was subsequently investigated. NO formation estimated from cGMP accumulation in the extracellular fluids was enhanced during hypoxia and to a lesser extent in the reoxygenation period. The mRNA for inducible NO synthase (NOS) was detected 3-5 h after reoxygenation, although neuronal NOS mRNA decreased after reoxygenation. Several NOS inhibitors such as N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine blocked not only the NO formation but also the hypoxia/reoxygenation injury as determined by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. The hypoxia/reoxygenation injury was prevented by peroxynitrite scavengers including deferoxamine and uric acid, or several hydroxyradical scavengers such as dimethylthiourea, 2-mercaptopropionylglycine and D(-) mannitol. In addition, the hypoxia/reoxygenation injury was attenuated by poly(ADP-ribose)synthetase inhibitors such as banzamide, 3-aminobenzamide and 1,5-isoquinolinediol. On the other hand, both N-morpholinosidnonimine, a peroxynitrite generator, and hydroxyradical-liberating solution containing FeCl(3)-ADP and dihydroxyfumarate caused a marked LDH leakage in normoxic slices. These findings suggest that the enhanced formation of NO causes hypoxia/reoxygenation injury after degradation to peroxynitrite and hydroxyradical and the resultant activation of poly(ADP-ribose)synthetase.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Oka
- Research Laboratories, Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd, Nishiohji Hachijo Minami-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
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Matsuu M, Shichijo K, Nakamura Y, Ikeda Y, Naito S, Ito M, Okaichi K, Sekine I. The role of the sympathetic nervous system in radiation-induced apoptosis in jejunal crypt cells of spontaneously hypertensive rats. JOURNAL OF RADIATION RESEARCH 2000; 41:55-65. [PMID: 10838810 DOI: 10.1269/jrr.41.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
To evaluate the effect of the sympathetic nervous system on radiation-induced apoptosis in jejunal crypt cells, apoptosis levels were compared in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), animals which are a genetic hyperfunction model of the sympathetic nervous system, and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). SHR and WKY were exposed to whole body X-ray irradiation at doses from 0.5 to 2 Gy. The apoptotic index in jejunal crypt cells was significantly greater in SHR than in WKY at each time point after irradiation and at each dose. WKY and SHR were treated with reserpine to induce sympathetic dysfunction, and were subsequently exposed to irradiation. Reserpine administration to SHR or WKY resulted in a significant suppression of apoptosis. p53 accumulation was detected in the jejunum in both WKY and SHR after irradiation by Western blotting analysis. There were no significant differences in the levels of p53 accumulation in irradiated intestine between WKY and SHR. These findings suggested that hyperfunction of the sympathetic nervous system is involved in the mechanism of high susceptibility to radiation-induced apoptosis of the jejunal crypt cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Matsuu
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
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Kimoto-Kinoshita S, Nishida S, Tomura TT. Age-related change of antioxidant capacities in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. Neurosci Lett 1999; 273:41-4. [PMID: 10505647 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(99)00623-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Regional distribution and age-related change of Mn-, Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and constitutive type of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities in the brain were determined using stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). In the hippocampus (HIP), Mn- and Cu/Zn-SOD activities in SHRSP of 31-week-old were significantly lower than those of 15-week-old or normotensive rats (WKY). From Mn-SOD immunohistochemical staining of several subfields of the HIP, our results suggested that SHRSP hippocampal CA1 was more vulnerable to oxidative stress compared with WKY and other subfields. In the 31-week-old SHRSP cerebral cortex (CC), the activities of Mn-, Cu/Zn-SOD and NOS were significantly lower than those in WKY. At this age, most of the SHRSP developed cerebral injuries. These observations indicated that hypertensive vascular disease observed in the SHRSP CC resulted from the decreased antioxidant capacity that is closely associated with the development of stroke and, in turn, shortened life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Kimoto-Kinoshita
- Department of Biochemistry and Oncology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan
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16
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Krukoff TL. Central actions of nitric oxide in regulation of autonomic functions. BRAIN RESEARCH. BRAIN RESEARCH REVIEWS 1999; 30:52-65. [PMID: 10407125 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-0173(99)00010-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The identification of nitric oxide (NO) as a gaseous, nonconventional neurotransmitter in the central nervous system has led to an explosion of studies aimed at learning about the roles of NO, not only at a cellular level, but also in regulating the activity of specific physiological systems that are coordinated by the brain. In the 1980s, publications began to appear which pointed to a role for NO in regulating peripheral autonomic function. In the 1990s, it became apparent that NO also acts centrally to affect autonomic responses. In this review, I will discuss the state of the current knowledge about the central role of NO in physiological functions which are related specifically to the control of sympathetic output. Studies which do not differentiate a central from a peripheral role for NO in these functions have not been included. After a brief discussion about the cellular events in which NO is involved, the distribution of NO-producing neurons in central autonomic areas of the brain will be presented. The more general actions of central NO in regulating sympathetic activity, as assessed with i.c.v. injections of pharmacological agents, will be followed by more specific sites of action achieved with microinjections into discrete brain areas. The review will be concluded with discussions about central NO in two physiological states of sympathetic imbalance, hypertension and stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- T L Krukoff
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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17
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Boissel JP, Schwarz PM, Förstermann U. Neuronal-type NO synthase: transcript diversity and expressional regulation. Nitric Oxide 1999; 2:337-49. [PMID: 10100489 DOI: 10.1006/niox.1998.0189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Of the three established isoforms of NO synthase, the gene for the neuronal-type enzyme (NOS I) is by far the largest and most complicated one. The genomic locus of the human NOS I gene is located on chromosome 12 and distributed over a region greater than 200 kb. The nucleotide sequence corresponding to the major neuronal mRNA transcript is encoded by 29 exons. The full-length open reading frame codes for a protein of 1434 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 160.8 kDa. However, both in rodents and in humans, multiple, tissue-specific or developmentally regulated NOS I mRNA transcripts have been reported. They arise from the initiation by different transcriptional units containing alternative promoters (at least eight in the human gene), cassette exon deletions or insertions, and/or the usage of alternate polyadenylation signals. Depending on the insertions and deletions, translation results in functional or nonfunctional proteins. The use of alternative promoters can influence gene expression by various means. Indeed, NOS I is not a static, constitutively expressed enzyme, but subject to expressional regulation by various compounds and conditions. The molecular mechanisms underlying these regulations are currently being studied in several laboratories including our own.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Boissel
- Department of Pharmacology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
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18
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Förstermann U, Boissel J, Kleinert H. Expressional control of the ‘constitutive’ isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS I and NOS III). FASEB J 1998. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.12.10.773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 460] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Förstermann
- Department of PharmacologyJohannes Gutenberg University Mainz D‐55101 Germany
| | - Jean‐Paul Boissel
- Department of PharmacologyJohannes Gutenberg University Mainz D‐55101 Germany
| | - Hartmut Kleinert
- Department of PharmacologyJohannes Gutenberg University Mainz D‐55101 Germany
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19
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Johnson P, Wei Y, Huentelman MJ, Peters CM, Boldyrev AA. Hydralazine, but not captopril, decreases free radical production and apoptosis in neurons and thymocytes. Free Radic Res 1998; 28:393-402. [PMID: 9684984 DOI: 10.3109/10715769809070808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The effects of captopril and hydralazine, two commonly used antihypertensive drugs, on free radical generation and the onset of apoptosis in neuron and thymocyte preparations from 10-12 day old rats have been studied. Apoptosis was induced in neurons by kainate or N-methyl-D-aspartate and in thymocytes by heat shock. Intracellular free radical production was measured by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein fluorescence, and apoptotic cells were detected by cell staining with fluorescein-labelled annexin V. Captopril was found to have no effect on intracellular free radical generation and also had no significant effect on the early stages of apoptosis in neurons and thymocytes. In contrast, hydralazine was found to decrease free radical generation in both neurons and thymocytes, and it also significantly decreased the numbers of apoptotic cells when neurons and thymocytes were stimulated for apoptosis. Hydralazine had a greater effect on decreasing free radical generation in neurons than in thymocytes, but it had a more pronounced effect on decreasing apoptosis in thymocytes compared to neurons, suggesting that apoptosis, under our experimental conditions, may not solely be triggered by free radical generation. These results contrast with earlier reports that captopril is a free radical scavenger and can decrease apoptosis in T-lymphocytes and cardiomyocytes, and the results obtained with hydralazine are in apparent disagreement with earlier reports that this drug is a free radical generator and can cause intracellular damage suggestive of enhanced free radical formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, Ohio University, Athens 45701, USA.
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20
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Penson DF, Ng C, Rajfer J, Gonzalez-Cadavid NF. Adrenal control of erectile function and nitric oxide synthase in the rat penis. Endocrinology 1997; 138:3925-32. [PMID: 9275083 DOI: 10.1210/endo.138.9.5402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Penile erection is a nitric oxide (NO)-mediated process that has been shown to be androgen dependent in rats. Castration reduces the activity of the penile enzyme involved in NO synthesis, nitric oxide synthase (NOS). To determine whether adrenal androgens and/or corticosteroids contribute to this control, the following groups of Fischer 344 adult male rats (n = 5-7) were studied: 1) intact, 2) castrated, 3) adrenalectomized alone, 4) castrated/adrenalectomized, 5) castrated/adrenalectomized with aldosterone (1.25 mg/kg, s.c.) and hydrocortisone (12 mg/kg, s.c.), 6) castrated/adrenalectomized with dihydrotestosterone (1.2-cm SILASTIC-brand tubing pellet; Dow Corning, Midland, MI), 7) castrated/adrenalectomized with dehydroepiandrosterone (2-cm tubing), 8) castrated/adrenalectomized with aldosterone (1.25 mg/kg, s.c.), and 9) castrated/adrenalectomized with hydrocortisone (12 mg/kg, s.c.). After 1 week, EFS was applied, and the maximal intracavernosal pressure (MIP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were recorded. The MIP/MAP ratio in the adrenalectomized group (0.37) was reduced to values found in the castrated group (0.40). The values in both groups were significantly less than those in intact controls (0.75). The most significant reduction in MIP/MAP was seen in the adrenalectomized/castrated group (0.16). Erectile response in animals submitted to adrenalectomy and castration was restored close to intact values with the administration of hydrocortisone and aldosterone (0.63). Similar results were obtained by the administration of either of the substances alone (0.56 and 0.67, respectively). Penile NOS activity assayed by the L-arginine/citrulline conversion was decreased by 55% in the castrated group compared with that in the intact group, but was not further reduced in the adrenalectomized/castrated or adrenalectomized groups. Penile neuronal NOS protein content, estimated by Western blot, was decreased only in the adrenalectomized/castrated animals (35%), and endothelial NOS content was not affected. These data suggest that the rat adrenal gland contributes to the maintenance of the erectile mechanism and may affect neuronal NOS content in the penis in the rat model. The possibility that hypotension may play a role in the erectile dysfunction observed in adrenalectomized rats cannot be discarded.
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Affiliation(s)
- D F Penson
- Department of Urology, University of California School of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance 90509, USA
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21
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Cabell KS, Ma L, Johnson P. Effects of antihypertensive drugs on rat tissue antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation levels. Biochem Pharmacol 1997; 54:133-41. [PMID: 9296359 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-2952(97)00161-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The effects of three commonly used antihypertensive agents (captopril, hydralazine, and terazosin) on tissue antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY rats) were studied by analysis of antioxidant enzyme specific activities and lipid peroxidation levels in control and drug-treated animals. In the myocardium, changes in some of the enzyme activities between normotensive WKY and hypertensive SHR rats were mitigated by treatment of the SHR rats with an antihypertensive drug. Thus, all three drugs caused significant increases in myocardial Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (up to 133% of SHR control activity) and decreases in glutathione peroxidase (down to 59% of SHR control activity) to values that were closer to those in untreated WKY rats. Captopril also increased Mn superoxide dismutase activity, and hydralazine and terazosin decreased catalase activity towards untreated WKY values. Hydralazine was the only drug to alter the lipid peroxidation level in the myocardium of SHR rats (a 28% decrease), but in WKY rats all three drugs caused significant decreases in myocardial lipid peroxidation levels. In WKY rats, none of the drugs affected myocardial Mn and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase activities, although glutathione peroxidase activity was decreased by hydralazine and terazosin treatment and catalase activity was increased by captopril treatment. Enzyme activity changes in liver and skeletal muscle indicated that such changes were often tissue specific. No pattern was found for coordinated changes in antioxidant enzyme expression as a result of the drug treatments, and the changes in antioxidant enzyme specific activities did not correlate generally with changes in lipid peroxidation levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- K S Cabell
- Department of Chemistry and College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens 45701, U.S.A
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22
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Fouyas IP, Kelly PA, Ritchie IM, Whittle IR. Cerebrovascular effects of nitric oxide manipulation in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Br J Pharmacol 1997; 121:49-56. [PMID: 9146886 PMCID: PMC1564651 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0701098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
1. Evidence that nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity is altered in chronic hypertension is conflicting, possibly as a result of heterogeneity in both the nature of the dysfunction and in the disease process itself. The brain is particularly vulnerable to the vascular complications of chronic hypertension, and the aim of this study was to assess whether differences in the cerebrovascular responsiveness to the NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), and to the NO donor 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1) might indicate one possible source of these complications. 2. Conscious spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and WKY rats, were treated with L-NAME (30 mg kg-1, i.v.), 7-NI (25 mg kg-1, i.p.), (0.54 or 1.8 mg kg-1 h-1, continuous i.v. infusion) or saline (i.v.), 20 min before the measurement of local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) by the fully quantitative [14C]-iodoantipyrine autoradiographic technique. 3. With the exception of mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), there were no significant differences in physiological parameters between SHR and WKY rats within any of the treatment groups, or between treatment groups. L-NAME treatment increased MABP by 27% in WKY and 18% in SHR groups, whilst 7-NI had no significant effect in either group. Following the lower dose of SIN-1 infusion, MABP was decreased to a similar extent in both groups (around -20%). There was no significant difference in MABP between groups following the higher dose of SIN-1, but this represented a decrease of -41% in SHR and -21% in WKY rats. 4. With the exception of one brain region (nucleus accumbens), there were no significant differences in basal LCBF between WKY and SHR. L-NAME produced similar decreases in LCBF in both groups, ranging between -10 and -40%. The effect of 7-NI upon LCBF was more pronounced in the SHR (ranging from -34 to -57%) compared with the WKY (ranging from -14 to -43%), and in seven out of the thirteen brain areas examined there were significant differences in LCBF. 5. Following the lower dose of SIN-1, in the WKY 8 out of the 13 brain areas examined showed significant increases in blood flow compared to the saline treated animals. In contrast, only 2 brain areas showed significant increases in flow in the SHR. In the rest of the brain areas examined the effects of SIN-1 upon LCBF were less marked than in the WKY. 6. Infusion of the higher dose of SIN-1 resulted in further significant increases in LCBF in the WKY group (ranging between +30% and +74% compared to saline-treated animals), but no significant effects upon LCBF were found in the SHR. As a result, there were significant differences in LCBF between SIN-1-treated WKY and SHR in six brain areas. In most brain areas examined, cerebral blood flow in SHR following the higher dose of SIN-1 was less than that measured with the lower dose of SIN-1. 7. Despite comparable reductions in MABP (approximately 20%) in both groups, calculated cerebrovascular resistance (CVR) confirmed that the vasodilator effects of the lower dose of SIN-1 were significantly more pronounced throughout the brain in the WKY (ranging between -3% and -50%; median = -38%) when compared to the SHR (ranging between -10% and -36%; median = -26%). In the animals treated with the higher dose of SIN-1, CVR changes were broadly similar in both groups (median = -45% in WKY and -42% in SHR), but with the reduction in MABP in SHR being twice that found in WKY, this is in keeping with an attenuated blood flow response to SIN-1 in the SHR. 8. The results of this study indicate that NO-dependent vasodilator capacity is reduced in the cerebrovasculature of SHR. In addition, the equal responsiveness to a non-specific NOS inhibitor but an enhanced effectiveness of a specific neuronal NO inhibitor upon LCBF in the SHR could be consistent with an upregulation of the neuronal NO system.
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Affiliation(s)
- I P Fouyas
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital
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23
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Kishimoto J, Tsuchiya T, Emson PC, Nakayama Y. Immobilization-induced stress activates neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) mRNA and protein in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in rats. Brain Res 1996; 720:159-71. [PMID: 8782909 DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(96)00101-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether immobilization stress can cause changes in the enzyme activity and gene expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal gland in rats. NOS enzyme activity was measured as the rate of [3H]arginine conversion to citrulline, and the level of nNOS mRNA signal was determined using in situ hybridization and image analysis. NOS-positive cells were also visualized using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-diaphorase) histochemistry and by immunohistochemistry using an anti-nNOS antibody. A significant increase of NOS enzyme activity in the anterior pituitary, adrenal cortex, and adrenal medulla (1.5-, 3.5-, and 2.5-fold) was observed in the stressed animals (immobilization of 6 h) as compared to non-stressed control rats. Up-regulation of nNOS mRNA expression in anterior pituitary and adrenal cortex was already detectable after stress for 2 h with 1.5- and 2-fold increase, respectively. The nNOS mRNA signals in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) significantly increased after the stress for 6 h. This increase in NOS enzyme activity was confirmed using NADPH-diaphorase staining and immunostaining in the PVN and adrenal cortex. An increase of NOS enzyme activity in adrenal medulla after immobilization for 6 h posited by far longer than in the adrenal cortex and anterior pituitary. The present findings suggest that psychological and/or physiological stress causes NO release in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and in sympatho-adrenal system. It is suggested that NO may modulate a stress-induced activation of the HPA axis and the sympatho-adrenal medullary system. The different duration of stress-induced NOS activity in HPA axis and the adrenal medulla may suggest NO synthesis is controlled by separate mechanism in the two HPA and the sympatho-adrenal systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kishimoto
- Life Science Research Laboratories, Shiseido Research Center, Yokohama, Japan
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24
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Turnbull AV, Rivier C. Cytokine Effects on Neuroendocrine Axes: Influence of Nitric Oxide and Carbon Monoxide. NEUROSCIENCE INTELLIGENCE UNIT 1996. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4615-9695-0_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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