Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0036690 (sepsis)
 59,461 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We evaluated the effects on survival of three different strategies for blocking the actions of nitric oxide (NO) during Gram-negative sepsis in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent placement of a jugular vein catheter and i.p. implantation of a gelatin capsule containing a paste (.11 +/- 0.1 g final weight) consisting of sterile rat feces mixed with a suspension (.2 mL) of viable Escherichia coli (strain sm 18; 5.7 x 10(5) colony-forming units) in saline. Beginning at T = 6h, all animals received i.v. ampicillin (85 mg/kg every 12 h) until death or the administration of five doses. At the same time points, pairs of animals received an i.v. dose of either an experimental treatment agent or an appropriate control substance. The following experimental regimens were tested: 5 mg/kg per dose of S-methylisothiourea sulfate (SMT), a selective inhibitor of the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS); 10 mg/kg per dose or 25 mg/kg per dose of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of the inducible and constitutive isoforms of NOS; 200 mg/kg per dose of cross-linked human hemoglobin (HGB), an NO scavenger. SMT significantly prolonged survival in septic rats, although cumulative survival at T = 168 h was approximately equivalent in SMT- or saline-treated animals. In contrast, HGB and the higher dose of L-NAME significantly shortened survival times. At T = 20 h, arterial PO2 was significantly lower in rats treated with HGB as compared to time-matched controls. We conclude that SMT, a compound with reported activity as a selective inhibitor of the inducible isoform of NOS, prolongs survival in a rat model of antibiotic-treated Gram-negative sepsis.
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PMID:A selective inhibitor of inducible in nitric oxide synthase prolongs survival in a rat model of bacterial peritonitis: comparison with two nonselective strategies. 870 88

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that pulmonary microvascular reactivity is depressed in sepsis and that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) contributes to the vascular hyporeactivity. Rats were made septic by cecal ligation and puncture. After 16 h, pulmonary vascular reactivity was evaluated by measurement of perfusion pressures while the vasculature was challenged with angiotensin II and KCl. The results showed that vascular reactivity was significantly depressed in lungs from septic rats in comparison to sham-operated controls. Pretreatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 microM) restored the depressed vasoreactivity while the nitric oxide (NO) synthase substrate L-arginine (1 mM) reversed the contraction-restoring effect of L-NAME. NO production in lungs from septic rats increased about 4-fold in comparison to sham-operated controls. iNOS protein was expressed in lung tissues, mainly the resistance vessels, from septic rats but not from sham-operated controls. Reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction also showed a strong induction of iNOS mRNA in lung tissues from septic rats. These results suggest that increased iNOS expression and NO production may contribute to depressed pulmonary vascular reactivity in sepsis.
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PMID:Role of nitric oxide in sepsis-induced hyporeactivity in isolated rat lungs. 870 89

Nitric oxide (NO) production is increased in the intestine and may contribute to intestinal injury in sepsis. However, the tissue expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA throughout the digestive tract and its relation with the mucosal damage after endotoxin challenge remain unknown. We therefore measured tissue expression of mRNA encoding iNOS by Northern blot analysis and reverse transcription PCR. The iNOS mRNA was detectable at 1 h, peaked at 4 h, and remained faint at 24 h after endotoxin injection in esophagus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon, but not in the stomach. Pre-treatment with dexamethasone attenuated the rise of iNOS mRNA. Both dexamethasone and NOS inhibitor, L-NAME, ameliorated the endotoxin-induced increase in intestinal mucosal permeability. Our results indicate that there is tissue-specific expression of iNOS mRNA in the digestive tract. The manipulations that decrease NO production may have therapeutic potential in preserving intestinal mucosal integrity in sepsis.
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PMID:Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA in rat digestive tissues after endotoxin and its role in intestinal mucosal injury. 871 10

1. This study investigates the effects of two structurally different antagonists of platelet-activating factor (PAF), BN52021 and WEB2086, on the circulatory and renal failure elicited by lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from Staphylococcus aureus (an organism without endotoxin) in anaesthetized rats. 2. Administration of LTA (10 mg kg-1, i.v.) caused hypotension and vascular hyporeactivity to noradrenaline (1 microgram kg-1, i.v.) WEB2086 (5 mg kg-1, i.v., 20 min before and 150 min after LTA) inhibited the delayed fall in mean arterial blood pressure (at 300 min: 99 +/- 6 mmHg vs. 75 +/- 6 mmHg, P < 0.01) and prevented the decrease in pressor response to noradrenaline (at 300 min: 36 +/- 5 mmHg min vs. 17 +/- 5 mmHg min, P < 0.01). Surprisingly, BN52021 (20 mg kg-1, i.v., 20 min before and 150 min after LTA) neither prevented the hypotension (74 +/- 6 mmHg) nor the vascular hyporeactivity (21 +/- 5 mmHg min). However, BN52021 inhibited the hypotension to injections of PAF as well as the circulatory failure elicited by lipopolysaccharides (10 mg kg-1, i.v.). 3. LTA caused an increase in plasma concentration of creatinine from 39 +/- 5 microM (sham-operated) to 70 +/- 8 microM and urea from 4.7 +/- 0.1 to 13.1 +/- 1.6 mM. The renal failure elicited by LTA was significantly inhibited by WEB2086 (creatinine: 45 +/- 4 microM and urea: 5.7 +/- 0.7 mM), but not by BN52021. 4. The induction of nitric oxide synthase activity in lungs by LTA was attenuated by WEB2086 from 98 +/- 17 to 40 +/- 15 pmol L-citrulline 30 min-1 mg-1 protein (P < 0.01), but not by BN52021 (148 +/- 21 pmol L-citrulline 30 min-1 mg-1 protein). Similarly, WEB2086, but not BN52021, inhibited the increase in plasma nitrite concentration associated with the delayed circulatory failure caused by LTA. The release of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) after injection of LTA was not attenuated by WEB2086. 5. The induction of nitrite release by cultured macrophages activated with LTA (10 micrograms ml-1 for 24 h) was inhibited by 74 +/- 4% by WEB2086 (3 x 10(-4) M), but not by BN52021, indicating that only WEB2086 acts on intracellular PAF receptors. 6. Thus, the intracellular release of PAF contributes to the circulatory and renal failure and induction of nitric oxide synthase elicited by LTA in anaesthetized rats. The difference between the two structurally different PAF antagonists in our septic shock models using either LTA or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), shows the importance of models for Gram-positive sepsis in the elucidation of the pathophysiology of septic shock and for the evaluation of potential drugs.
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PMID:Role for intracellular platelet-activating factor in the circulatory failure in a model of gram-positive shock. 871 95

Sepsis is characterized by decreased peripheral vascular resistance, however, discrepancies exist regarding the specific secondary mediators involved. This study examined whether the presence of endotoxin (ET) is a requirement for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) to induce vasodilation of isolated skeletal muscle arterioles. First order cremasteric arterioles were isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats, cannulated with glass micropipettes, superfused in physiologic saline, and allowed to achieve spontaneous basal tone in the absence of intraluminal flow. A 2 min exposure to TNF-alpha (.01-100 ng/mL) had no apparent effect on arteriolar diameter (95 +/- 5% after .01 ng/mL and 92 +/- 6% after 100 ng/mL, p > .05 compared with basal). However, arterioles superfused with 2.5 micrograms/mL Salmonella enteritidis ET for 1 h followed by a 2 min exposure to 100 ng/mL TNF-alpha demonstrated a dilation (to 128 +/- 12%) that became statistically significant 10 min after TNF-alpha washout (to 142 +/- 12%, p < .05). This effect was eliminated by combined inhibition of cycloxygenase (with indomethacin) and nitric oxide synthase (L-NAME). The data indicate that neither ET or TNF-alpha alone elicit a direct vasomotor effect on the isolated arteriole preparation used in these studies. However, pretreatment of the vessels with ET results in the ability of TNF-alpha to cause arteriolar dilation, possibly through a mechanism involving both cyclooxygenase and nitric oxide synthase.
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PMID:Endotoxin interacts with tumor necrosis factor-alpha to induce vasodilation of isolated rat skeletal muscle arterioles. 872 84

Nitric oxide (NO) may be produced in the vascular wall by different NO synthases. One of the constitutive isoforms, the endothelial NO synthase, contributes to the regulation of vascular tone and may prevent unwanted platelet and leucocyte adhesion to the endothelial surface. The release of NO by the endothelial NO synthase is exquisitely regulated by increases of intracellular free calcium following endothelial receptors activation by shear stress, neuromediators, hormones or platelet products. The immediate and transient release of NO diffuses towards the underlying smooth muscle and contributes to the appropriate response to local changes in blood flow or composition. The endothelial release of NO depends also on the availability of NO synthase cofactors; in addition, several experimental evidences suggest a transcriptional and postranscriptional regulation of the endothelial NO synthase itself. Another isoform of NO synthase insensitive to changes in intracellular calcium may be induced following exposure to cytokines or under some pathological conditions such as sepsis, inflammation or after vessel wall injury. The massive and long-lasting release of NO caused by induction of NO synthase requires a latency period of several hours. The inducible NO synthase may compensate the dysfunction of the endothelial isoform after injury (angioplasty) or in atherosclerosis. However, uncontrolled regulation of inducible NO synthase expression may have deleterious consequences on the vascular wall.
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PMID:[Endothelial NO synthase]. 876 34

Decreased contractility of myocytes after cytokine exposure can be prevented by nitric oxide synthase inhibition. Whether this is true in an intact animal model of sepsis is unknown. Anesthetized pigs were pretreated with saline or a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N omega-nitro-L-arginine, and then treated with saline or endotoxin. We measured hemodynamics and left ventricular pressures (Millar catheter) and volumes (conductance catheter). Left ventricular contractility was assessed using the slope (E(max)) of the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship. Four hours after endotoxin infusion, E(max) had decreased by 44 +/- 5% (P < 0.05) and mean arterial pressure had decreased by 30 +/- 10% (P < 0.05). Pretreatment with N omega-nitro-L-arginine significantly reduced the decrease in E(max) to 28 +/- 3% (P < 0.05) and prevented the decrease in mean arterial pressure. However, it also raised pulmonary arterial pressure. We conclude that nitric oxide contributes to the early decrease in left ventricular contractility after endotoxin in the intact animal. However, the vascular effects of nitric oxide synthase inhibition increase right and left ventricular afterloads, which were detrimental to cardiac function.
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PMID:Nitric oxide synthase inhibition partially prevents decreased LV contractility during endotoxemia. 876 47

Nitric oxide release is induced in many cells, including vascular endothelium, as part of the host response to inflammation. Nitric oxide synthase activity is increased in patients with sepsis, associated with increased oxidant demands and decreased antioxidant protection. We used a human vascular endothelial cell line to investigate the influence of antioxidants on nitric oxide synthase activity. Cells were cultured to confluence and incubated with interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor, and lipopolysaccharide in the combined presence of the antioxidants ascorbic acid, Trolox, catalase, or superoxide dismutase, singly and in combination, for 48 h. Additionally, some cells were incubated with hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase or a nitric oxide donor. Nitric oxide synthase activity was upregulated by cytokine exposure (p < .0005). Ascorbic acid and superoxide dismutase/ catalase resulted in decreased enzyme activity (p < .05). Superoxide anion release from xanthine oxidase caused increased activity (p < .05) and exogenous nitric oxide tended to suppress synthase activity. We suggest that antioxidants scavenge superoxide anion, enabling feedback inhibition of nitric oxide synthase activity by nitric oxide, and thus reducing enzyme activity. Exogenous nitric oxide also has a similar effect. Superoxide generation suppresses this feedback inhibition. This study has important implications in patients with sepsis in whom nitric oxide synthase inhibitor therapy is currently under investigation.
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PMID:Regulation of nitric oxide synthase activity in cultured human endothelial cells: effect of antioxidants. 879 Oct 97

Three different isoforms of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS) (EC 1.14.13.39) catalyze the formation of nitric oxide (NO) from l-arginine, which is then converted to l-citrulline. NO released by the constitutive isoforms is involved in a variety of physiologic functions, whereas larger amounts of NO released from the inducible isoform (iNOS) are mostly associated with inflammatory processes. Overproduction of NO in these processes including sepsis and autoimmune diseases can have deleterious consequences and pathophysiologic relevance. In this regard investigations of the regulation and function of iNOS to find specific iNOS inhibitors to block unwanted high levels of NO seem of great interest. The present article gives an overview of several methods and techniques employed to study the expression and regulation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase in in vivo and in vitro models of inflammation. The induction of iNOS was detected at different levels of expression and was compared to functional activity of NOS measured as enzyme activity and nitrite/nitrate production, two stable end products of the NO pathway. Differences in vivo and in vitro are compared and discussed.
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PMID:Expression and Detection of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in Experimental Models of Inflammation 881 45

1. Induction of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) results in overproduction of nitric oxide (NO), which may be a principal cause of the massive vasodilatation and hypotension observed in septic shock. Since NO-induced vasorelaxation is mediated via the soluble isoform of guanylate cyclase (sGC), the regulation of sGC activity during shock is of obvious importance, but yet poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the activation of sGC by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) before and after exposure of rat aortic smooth muscle cells to endotoxin (LPS) or interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). 2. Exposure of rat aortic smooth muscle cells to SNP (10 microM) elicited up to 200 fold increases in cyclic GMP. This effect was attenuated by 30-70% in IL-1 beta- or LPS-pretreated cells, in a pretreatment time-and IL-1 beta- or LPS-concentration-dependent manner. When, however, cells were exposed to IL-1 beta or LPS and then stimulated with the particulate guanylate cyclase activator, atriopeptin II, no reduction in cyclic GMP accumulation was observed. 3. Pretreatment of rats with LPS (5 mg kg-1, i.v.) for 6 h led to a decrease in aortic ring SNP-induced cyclic GMP accumulation. 4. The IL-1 beta-induced reduction in SNP-stimulated cyclic GMP accumulation in cultured cells was dependent on NO production, as arginine depletion abolished the downregulation of cyclic GMP accumulation in response to SNP. 5. Reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the ratio of steady state mRNA for the alpha, subunit of sGC to glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase was decreased in LPS- or IL-1 beta-treated cells, as compared to vehicle-treated cells. 6. Protein levels of the alpha 1 sGC subunit remained unaltered upon exposure to LPS or IL-1 beta, suggesting that the early decreased cyclic GMP accumulation in IL-1 beta- or LPS-pretreated cells was probably due to reduced sGC activation. Thus, the observed decreased responsiveness of sGC to NO stimulation following cytokine or LPS challenge may represent an important homeostatic mechanism to offset the extensive vasodilatation seen in sepsis.
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PMID:Downregulation of nitrovasodilator-induced cyclic GMP accumulation in cells exposed to endotoxin or interleukin-1 beta. 883 57


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