Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:1.5.1.19 (NOS)
7,285 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recent work has implicated nitric oxide (NO) in several aspects of male genital physiology including erectile function and androgen secretion, as well as in vitro effects on sperm motility and capacitation. The objectives of this study were to characterize the distribution of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in "normal" human testis, epididymis, and vas deferens and in testis pathology. Nitric oxide synthase protein was localized immunohistochemically using an eNOS monoclonal antibody. Endothelial NOS protein co-localized to areas that showed positive NADPH diaphorase activity. Within the testis, eNOS protein was localized to the cytoplasm of Leydig cells and Sertoli cells at all stages of spermatogenesis. Within the epididymis and vas deferens, eNOS was localized to the epithelium. Endothelial NOS was also localized to endothelial cells in all tissues; it was not detectable in normal germ cells. Endothelial NOS and diaphorase activity were, however, detected in degenerating or apoptotic intraepithelial germ cells. In addition, prematurely shed spermatocytes and spermatids had intense eNOS expression. Previous studies have suggested a role for NOS in the contractile, hemodynamic, and hormonal aspects of testicular function as well as in epididymal secretion. The studies reported herein suggest a role for eNOS in spermatogenesis and germ cell degeneration.
...
PMID:Immunohistochemical localization of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in human testis, epididymis, and vas deferens suggests a possible role for nitric oxide in spermatogenesis, sperm maturation, and programmed cell death. 890 2

To elucidate the potential role of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and neuronal constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) in the pathogenesis of virus-induced encephalopathy, the activities of both NOS isoforms were determined in the brains of rats infected with Borna disease virus (BDV) or rabies virus. iNOS activity strongly increased, whereas neuronal cNOS activity significantly decreased in a time-dependent manner after either BDV or rabies virus infection. Choline acetyltransferase activity in the brain remained unchanged during both virus infections, suggesting that the decrease in cNOS activity does not reflect a generalized neuronal loss. Immunohistochemistry and Northern blot analyses indicate that the decrease in neuronal cNOS activity is due to a decrease in cNOS protein and mRNA synthesis. These results suggest that both an excessive generation of NO by activated macrophages or microglia, as well as a decrease of NO production in neurons may contribute to the neuropathogenesis of neurotropic virus infections.
...
PMID:Effect of neurotropic virus infection on neuronal and inducible nitric oxide synthase activity in rat brain. 922 48

The present study examined the temporal pattern and cellular localisation of nitric oxide synthase in Endotoxin-Induced Uveitis (EIU). Lewis rats (n=40) received a single footpad injection of 200 microg of bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Animals were killed at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hr after injection and ocular tissues prepared as iris-ciliary body wholemounts or frozen sections of the anterior segment. The expression of constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was investigated at all time points by immunohistochemistry. A further group of animals (n=6) were killed at the peak of the disease (12 hr) and the cellular co-localisation of iNOS on resident and infiltrating immune cells was investigated by double immunohistochemistry utilising the biotinylated monoclonal antibodies ED1, ED2 and Ox6. Expression of cNOS on iris vessels did not alter during the course of EIU. Quantitative analysis of iris-ciliary body wholemounts revealed the first evidence of iNOS+ at 2 hr which increased dramatically at 4 and 6 hr with a peak at 12 hr. The expression of iNOS in the early phase of the disease (2-6 hr) was associated with small round marginating and newly extravasated cells that on morphological criteria were most likely neutrophils and monocytes. At 12 hr, cells of more mixed morphologies began to express iNOS and double labelling revealed 70% of these cells were also ED1(+) (a lysosomal antigen present in monocytes/macrophages and dendritic cells), 52% were Ox6(+) (MHC class II) (dendritic cells, activated macrophages and some T-cells) and 19% were ED2(+) (pan-specific resident tissue macrophages). Expressed in an alternative manner, 10% of the total ED1(+) cell population, 11% of the ED2(+) cells and 44% of Ox6(+) cells co-expressed iNOS. Expression of iNOS decreased significantly by 24 hr to near baseline levels and was absent by 48 and 72 hr. Within the ciliary processes iNOS+ dendriform cells were noted at 6 hr and accumulations of many small round iNOS+ cells were present at 12 hr. The ciliary epithelium did not at any time express iNOS at the protein level detectable by immunohistochemistry. The results of this study suggest that iNOS expression early in EIU is associated with infiltrating or newly recruited neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages in the iris whereas later in the disease resident tissue macrophages and MHC class II+ cells (activated macrophages and putative dendritic cells) in the iris and ciliary body may synthesise nitric oxide. The role of this late phase of nitric oxide synthesis may include lymphocytostasis and immunosuppression as proposed in other tissue sites. The outcome of the present study may help in planning therapeutic strategies using NOS inhibitors.
...
PMID:Cellular localisation and dynamics of nitric oxide synthase expression in the rat anterior segment during endotoxin-induced uveitis. 926 84

Inhibition of NO synthesis represents a new therapeutical approach in the treatment of inflammation. Clinical use of NOS inhibitors will necessitate the design of drugs selective for iNOS, because inhibition of constitutive endothelial NOS may cause adverse cardiovascular side effects. This study examines the effect of ibuprofen and its stereoeisomeric components on the activation of iNOS and cNOS as well as on the NO production by human umbilical vein endothelial cells. At therapeutic concentrations Ibuprofen activated iNOS and inhibited NOS. In endothelial cell culture experiments activation of NO production was seen especially at supratherapeutic ibuprofen concentrations. Both stereoisomeric components of ibuprofen showed comparable effects. This drug can therefore not be used for the selective inhibition of iNOS.
...
PMID:Modulation of nitric oxide synthase activity by ibuprofen. 927 67

In a previous study, we reported that nitric oxide (.NO) affects surfactant synthesis and ATP levels in alveolar type II cells and suggested that there is constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) activity in the cells. In the present study, we performed experiments to confirm further the presence of cNOS and to determine the effects of lung surfactant on type II cell .NO and ATP levels. The supernatant from freshly isolated cells contains .NO (0.26 +/- 0.08 nmol/10(6) cells). During incubation, the cells produce additional .NO at a rate of approximately 0.3 nmol.10(5) cells-1.h-1. .NO formation is inhibited by 28-46% by three inhibitors of cNOS and inducible NOS (iNOS), NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), L-N5-(1-iminoethyl)ornithine hydrochloride, and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, but a specific inhibitor of iNOS, aminoguanidine, has no effect. The production of .NO is reduced in Ca(2+)-free medium, is stimulated by the Ca2+ ionophore A-23187, and is independent of extracellular L-arginine. One known type of cNOS, endothelial NOS (eNOS), can be detected in the cells by using Western blot analysis. Incubation of the cells with lung surfactant leads to a relatively rapid (approximately 15 min), concentration-dependent increase in .NO formation that reaches levels as high as 238 +/- 14% of control. The surfactant effects appear to be caused by its major component, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC). Exposure of type II cells to DPPC results in maximal increases in .NO formation, ATP content, and O2 consumption, which are 268 +/- 32, 234 +/- 24, and 131 +/- 6% of control, respectively. The DPPC-induced increases in .NO, ATP, and O2 consumption are inhibited by L-NMMA. These results confirm the presence of type II cell cNOS and suggest that it may have a role in the cellular processing of lung surfactant.
...
PMID:Alveolar type II cell cNOS activity and ATP levels are increased by lung surfactant or DPPC vesicles. 927 45

To assess the role of nitric oxide (NO) produced by the constitutive (cNOS) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in the regulation of vascular functions, we compared the effects of aminoguanidine, a relatively selective inhibitor of iNOS, and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nonselective NOS inhibitor on blood pressure, plasma volume, and albumin escape during the early and delayed phases of endotoxin shock in conscious, chronically catheterized rats. Red blood cell volume and plasma volume were determined by using chromium-51-tagged erythrocytes and iodine-125-labeled albumin, respectively. Injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 10 mg/kg i.v. resulted in a fall in blood pressure, hemoconcentration, and increased total-body albumin escape, which is reflected by a 25% reduction in plasma volume. When LPS was injected into animals pretreated with L-NAME (7.4 mumol/kg i.v. 15 minutes before LPS), losses in plasma volume and albumin escape were significantly greater than in rats that received LPS alone, despite that L-NAME attenuated the hypotensive action of LPS. Aminoguanidine pretreatment (162 mumol/kg) had no effect on the early responses to LPS, whereas it was as potent as L-NAME in reversing hypotension when injected 70 minutes after LPS. Aminoguanidine treatment also prevented further losses in plasma volume and markedly attenuated total-body and organ albumin escape rates elicited by LPS. L-NAME produced only a slight attenuation of LPS-induced losses in plasma volume and albumin escape in most organs studied, whereas it potentiated albumin extravasation in the lung. These results demonstrate that inhibition of cNOS potentiates, whereas inhibition of iNOS markedly attenuates, losses in plasma volume and albumin escape elicited by LPS, and suggest that selective inhibitors of iNOS may be more effective than nonselective inhibitors of all forms of NOS in the therapy of septic shock.
...
PMID:Dual role for nitric oxide in the regulation of plasma volume and albumin escape during endotoxin shock in conscious rats. 935 58

1. Dobesilate is used for normalizing vascular dysfunction in a number of diseases. In search for an effect on endothelial NO production, macrovascular endothelial cells from rat aorta, microvascular endothelial cells from rat exocrine pancreatic tissue, and capillary endothelial cells from rat islets, were cultured in the presence or absence of Mg-Dobesilate. The activity of constitutive nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) in resident cells as well as of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in cytokine-activated cells was measured indirectly by recording the citrulline concentrations in culture supernatants. 2. In each of the different endothelial cells Mg-Dobesilate incubation (0.25-1 mM) for 24 h led to a significant and concentration-dependent increase in ecNOS-activities. With cytokine-activated endothelial cell cultures only moderate effects were seen with little or no concentration-dependency. Addition of the NOS-inhibitor N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine led to a significant suppression of citrulline formation in all cultures as an evidence for the enzyme specificity of these effects. 3. iNOS- and ecNOS-specific reverse transcription and semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with RNA from resident or cytokine-activated endothelial cells gave no evidence for an increase in NOS-specific mRNA after Mg-Dobesilate-treatment. Furthermore, Dobesilate-mediated enhancement of NO synthesis in resting endothelial cells was not due to iNOS induction in these cells, as no iNOS-specific signal was found by RT-PCR.
...
PMID:Dobesilate enhances endothelial nitric oxide synthase-activity in macro- and microvascular endothelial cells. 942 2

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been proposed to act as the major virulence factor in Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-infected stomach but its action on mucosal integrity has been little studied. We determined the effects of LPS of Hp, expressing cytotoxic antigens CagA and VacA on acute gastric lesions induced by 100% ethanol, mucosal blood flow (GBF) and expression of constitutive nitric oxide (NO) synthase (cNOS) mRNA and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA in gastric mucosa using RT-PCR. Two major series (A and B) of rats were employed; A--with suppressed NOS activity by nonspecific NOS inhibitor, such as NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, (L-NAME) (5 mg/kg i.v.), or by specific iNOS inhibitor, NG-(1-Immunoethyl) lysine (L-NIL) (30 mg/kg i.g.), or with inhibited induction of NOS activity by dexamethasone (2 mg/kg i.p.) and series B--vehicle (saline)-treated controls. LPS (0.01-1.0 mg/kg) given i.p. attenuated dose-dependently ethanol-induced mucosal lesions and this protective effect was accompanied by a rise in the GBF and excessive mucosal production and luminal release of NO. LPS (1 mg/kg i.p.) administered at lower dose (1 mg/kg i.p.) to rats without ethanol instillation significantly elevated GBF and luminal release of NO, while higher doses of LPS (20 and 40 mg/kg i.p.) or SNAP (6 mg/kg), which produced systemic hypotension, were not protective. Suppression of NOS activity by pretreatment with standard dose of L-NAME or L-NIL and inhibition of NOS induction by treatment with dexamethasone reversed the protective and hyperemic effects of LPS and this reversal was significantly antagonized by the addition of the substrate for cNOS, L-arginine, but not D-arginine. Administration of L-NAME, L-NIL or dexamethasone, completely abolished the enhanced mucosal NO production and the hyperemia induced by LPS in rats without or with topical application of ethanol. Expression of cNOS was detected by RT-PCR in the intact mucosa but intense signals for expression of both cNOS and iNOS were detected by RT-PCR in the gastric mucosa of LPS-treated rats. We conclude that parenteral LPS protects gastric mucosa from acute ethanol-induced damage via an increase in mucosal microcirculation mediated by NO due to the overexpression of iNOS and activation of arginine-NO-system.
...
PMID:Lipopolysaccharide of Helicobacter pylori protects gastric mucosa via generation of nitric oxide. 944 18

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important vasodilator that is produced by constitutive (cNOS) as well as inducible (iNOS) isoforms of nitric oxide synthase. The pore-forming hemolysin of Escherichia coli (HlyA), an important virulence factor in extraintestinal E. coli infections, was found to be a potent stimulator of NO liberation in isolated endothelial cells, and that it also causes thromboxane generation and related vasoconstriction in rabbit lungs. We investigated the effect of different concentrations of HlyA on pulmonary NO synthesis in buffer-perfused rabbit lungs. NO release into the alveolar as well as the intravascular compartment was monitored on-line by chemiluminescence detection of expired NO and by measurement of (peroxy-)nitrite/nitrate release into the perfusate. HlyA induced a pressor response and an immediate dose-dependent increase of exhalative and intravascular NO liberation, further enhanced by the addition of the NOS substrate L-arginine. The nonspecific NOS inhibitor N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), but not the iNOS selective inhibitors aminoguanidine and 2-(2-aminoethyl)-2-thiopseudourea-dihydrobromide, blocked the HlyA-evoked NO liberation into both the alveolar and the intravascular compartments. Enhancement of NO formation (L-arginine) slightly reduced, and inhibition of NO synthesis (L-NMMA) amplified greatly, the HlyA-elicited vasoconstrictor response. Inhibition of the pressor response by a thromboxane receptor antagonist did not interfere with the exotoxin-elicited NO formation. We conclude (1) that marked NO biosynthesis occurs in this model of the septic lung, (2) that the signal transduction in response to HlyA proceeds via activation of cNOS directly related to exotoxin activity and not to secondary changes in shear stress, and (3) that this vasodilator release mitigates the HlyA-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction. These findings may have important implications for therapeutic approaches using NOS inhibitors in sepsis.
...
PMID:Nitric oxide biosynthesis in an exotoxin-induced septic lung model: role of cNOS and impact on pulmonary hemodynamics. 947 64

1. Intraplantar injection of carrageenan (150 microl, 1-3% w/v) in the rat resulted in a dose-related increase in hindpaw weight (oedema) characterized by a rapid 'early' phase (up to 2.5 h) response followed by a more sustained 'late' phase (2-6 h) response. No change in weight of either the contralateral (i.e. noninjected) hindpaw or hindpaws injected with saline was observed. 2. Six hours after intraplantar injection of carrageenan (1-3% w/v) hindpaw constitutive (i.e. calcium-dependent) nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) activity (determined ex vivo as the conversion of radiolabelled L-arginine to radiolabelled citrulline) was increased (e.g. 2% w/v; 0.64+/-0.08 pmol citrulline mg(-1) protein 15 min(-1) c.f. 0.08+/-0.04 pmol citrulline mg(-1) protein 15 min(-1) in saline-injected, control animals, n=4, P<0.05). Carrageenan injection also resulted in the appearance in hindpaw homogenates of inducible (i.e. calcium-independent) nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, e.g. 2% w/v; 0.67+/-0.14 pmol citrulline mg(-1) protein 15 min(-1), n=4). Hindpaw cyclic GMP concentration was also significantly increased 6 h after intraplantar injection of carrageenan (e.g. 2% w/v; 379.6+/-26.8 fmol mg(-1) protein c.f. 261.8+/-42.2 fmol mg(-1) protein, in saline-injected, control animals, n=4, P<0.05). 3. Pretreatment (5-25 mg kg(-1), i.p., 30 min before carrageenan, 2% w/v) of animals with L-N(G) nitro arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; isoform nonselective inhibitor of NOS) or 7-nitro indazole (7-NI; inhibitor of neuronal NOS, nNOS) caused dose-related inhibition of both the early (2 h) and late (6 h) phase hindpaw oedema, associated with reduced hindpaw iNOS and cNOS activity and cyclic GMP concentration in animals killed at 6 h. Administration of 7-NI (5-25 mg kg(-1), i.p.) to animals 2.5 h after intraplantar carrageenan (2% w/v) injection (i.e. at the end of the early phase oedema response) produced dose-related inhibition of the late phase response. 4. Pretreatment (5-25 mg kg(-1), i.p., 30 min before carrageenan, 2% w/v) of animals with L-N6-iminoethyllysine (L-NIL, selective inhibitor of iNOS) (5-25 mg kg(-1)) failed to affect the early phase hindpaw oedema response but did produce a dose-related inhibition of the late phase oedema. L-NIL pretreatment also inhibited the carrageenan-induced increase in both hindpaw iNOS and cNOS activity as well as the rise in hindpaw cyclic GMP concentration. 5. The present experiments demonstrate an anti-inflammatory effect of 7-NI as evidenced by inhibition of carrageenan-induced hindpaw oedema in the rat. Inhibition of nNOS (early phase) and iNOS (late phase) at the site of inflammation most probably accounts for the anti-inflammatory activity observed. These data suggest a role for nitric oxide synthesized by the nNOS isoform (most probably within sensory nerves) in this model of inflammation.
...
PMID:A comparison of the effects of L-NAME, 7-NI and L-NIL on carrageenan-induced hindpaw oedema and NOS activity. 955 95


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>