Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0406810 (NAME)
 13,345 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Putative nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity was assayed in molluscan CNS through histochemical localization of NADPH-diaphorase and through measurement of L-arginine/L-citrulline conversion. Several hundreds of NADPH-dependent diaphorase-positive neurons stained consistently darkly in the nervous system of the predatory opisthobranch Pleurobranchaea californica, whereas stained neurons were relatively sparse and/or light in the other opisthobranchs (Philine, Aplysia, Tritonia, Flabellina, Cadina, Armina, Coriphella, and Doriopsilla sp.) and cephalopods (Sepia and Rossia sp.). L-Arginine/L-citrulline conversion was beta-NADPH dependent, insensitive to removal of Ca2+, inhibited by the calmodulin blocker trifluoperazine, and inhibited by the competitive NOS inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) but not D-NAME. Inhibitors of arginase [L-valine and (+)-S-2-amino-5-iodoacetamidopentanoic acid)] did not affect L-citrulline production in the CNS. NOS activity was largely associated with the particulate fraction and appeared to be a novel, constitutive Ca(2+)-independent isoform. Enzymatic conversion of L-arginine/L-citrulline in Pleurobranchaea and Aplysia CNS was 4.0 and 9.8%, respectively, of that of rat cerebellum, L-Citrulline formation in gill and muscle of Pleurobranchaea was not significant. The localization of relatively high NOS activity in neuron somata in the CNS of Pleurobranchaea is markedly different from the other opisthobranchs, all of which are grazers. Potentially, this is related to the animal's opportunistic predatory lifestyle.
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PMID:Nitric oxide synthase activity in the molluscan CNS. 859 65

1. A constitutive nitric oxide synthase (NOSc) pathway negatively controls L-arginine-stimulated insulin release by pancreatic beta cells. We investigated the effect of glucose on this mechanism and whether it could be accounted for by nitric oxide production. 2. NOSc was inhibited by N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was used as a palliative NO donor to test whether the effects of L-NAME resulted from decreased NO production. 3. In the rat isolated perfused pancreas, L-NAME (5 mM) strongly potentiated L-arginine (5 mM)-induced insulin secretion at 5 mM glucose, but L-arginine and L-NAME exerted only additive effects at 8.3 mM glucose. At 11 mM glucose, L-NAME significantly inhibited L-arginine-induced insulin secretion. Similar data were obtained in rat isolated islets. 4. At high concentrations (3 and 300 microM), SNP increased the potentiation of arginine-induced insulin output by L-NAME, but not at lower concentrations (3 or 30 nM). 5. L-Arginine (5 mM) and L-ornithine (5 mM) in the presence of 5 mM glucose induced monophasic beta cell responses which were both significantly reduced by SNP at 3 nM but not at 30 nM; in contrast, the L-ornithine effect was significantly increased by SNP at 3 microM. 6. Simultaneous treatment with L-ornithine and L-arginine provoked a biphasic insulin response. 7. At 5 mM glucose, L-NAME (5 mM) did not affect the L-ornithine secretory effect, but the amino acid strongly potentiated the alteration by L-NAME of L-arginine-induced insulin secretion. 8. L-Citrulline (5 mM) significantly reduced the second phase of the insulin response to L-NAME (5 mM) + L-arginine (5 mM) and to L-NAME + L-arginine + SNP 3 microM. 9. The intermediate in NO biosynthesis, NG-hydroxy-L-arginine (150-300 microM) strongly counteracted the potentiation by L-NAME of the secretory effect of L-arginine at 5 mM glucose. 10. We conclude that the potentiation of L-arginine-induced insulin secretion resulting from the blockade of NOSc activity in the presence of a basal glucose concentration (1) is strongly modulated by higher glucose concentrations, (2) is not due to decreased NO production but (3) is probably accounted for by decreased levels of NG-hydroxy-L-arginine or L-citrulline, resulting in the attenuation of an inhibitory effect on arginase activity.
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PMID:Mechanisms involved in the effect of nitric oxide synthase inhibition on L-arginine-induced insulin secretion. 903 55

The dibasic amino acid, L-arginine, is a substrate for both nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and arginase and therefore, plays an important role in cell signaling and cell growth. We examined the effects of various NOS inhibitors on L-arginine transport into rat renal brush border membrane (BBM) vesicles. L-Arginine uptake was stimulated in the presence of an inwardly directed Na+ gradient and an imposed inside negative potential in BBM but not basolateral membrane vesicles. In BBM vesicles, the L-arginine analogs, N-iminoethyl-L-orinithine and Nw-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) were potent inhibitors of L-arginine uptake (IC50 of 0.48 and 0.82 mM, respectively), while Nw-nitro-L-arginine was less active (IC50 = 10 mM) and Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) was inactive. The inhibition of L-arginine transport by L-NMMA was competitive in nature. L-NIO, L-NMMA as well as L-arginine and L-lysine but not Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, trans-stimulated L-arginine uptake when preloaded into BBM vesicles. The L-arginine analogs had no effect on the transport of the neutral amino acid, L-leucine, in the same preparations. The data suggest that in addition to inhibiting NOS, the L-arginine analogs, N-iminoethyl-L-orinithine, L-NMMA and to a lesser extent L-NA, also inhibit L-arginine transport across the BBM of proximal tubules.
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PMID:Interaction of L-arginine analogs with L-arginine uptake in rat renal brush border membrane vesicles. 961 3

While the L-arginine conversion assay has been utilized to measure nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in isolated enzyme and pure cell preparations, this method often fails to provide accurate measurements in whole tissues. Biological tissues contain variable amounts of unlabeled substrate and enzymes are present which can compete for substrate or independently form the product L-citrulline. NOS-independent conversion of radiolabeled L-arginine to L-citrulline occurs due to arginase- and ornithine transcarbamylase-mediated reactions and this limits the accuracy of this assay for measurement of NOS activity. In heart tissue, NOS-independent L-citrulline formation was observed which could not be blocked by the NOS inhibitor L-NAME but was blocked by the arginase inhibitor L-ornithine. To eliminate the effect of arginase-mediated L-citrulline formation, KCl-washed membrane particulate fractions were obtained by high-speed centrifugation. While arginase-mediated nonspecific activity was 85% concentrated in the cytosol, 93% of NOS activity was localized within the particulate fraction of the heart. The remaining arginase activity found in the crude pellet was mostly removed by a one-step KCl wash purification and when incubation periods of 8 min were utilized specific and accurate measurements of NOS activity were obtained. NOS enzymatic properties were defined for rat heart preparations with a Km of 2.9 microM for L-arginine. All NOS activity detected was calcium-dependent suggesting it originated from the constitutive endothelial isoform. Thus, NOS-independent activity can be largely eliminated from the heart tissue by assaying KCl-washed membrane particulate fractions and this enables accurate quantitation of NOS activity.
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PMID:An improved assay for measurement of nitric oxide synthase activity in biological tissues. 968 8

Nitric oxide (NO) has been associated with lung inflammation following exposure to silica. L-arginine can be converted to NO and L-citrulline by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), or into urea and L-ornithine by arginase. We tested the hypothesis that after instillation of silica into rat lungs in vivo, lung inflammatory cells increase L-arginine metabolism by both NOS and arginase, which is associated with an increase in L-arginine uptake. We isolated lung inflammatory cells 3 d after silica or saline (control) exposure. The uptake of [3H]L-arginine at 24 h by cells from silica-exposed lungs (73.9 +/- 4.8%) was significantly greater than uptake by control cells (24.7 +/- 2.2%; P < 0.05) and was a saturable process. The greater [3H]L-arginine uptake by cells from silica-exposed lungs was associated with greater NO and urea production than by control cells. The uptake of [3H]L-arginine by cells from control or silica-exposed lungs was blocked in a dose-dependent manner by L-ornithine (an inhibitor of L-arginine transport) and by Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (an NOS inhibitor), but not by L-valine (an arginase inhibitor). The production of NO by cells from silica-exposed lungs was completely blocked by L-NAME. The addition of L-arginine to media resulted in dose-dependent production of NO and urea. The results show that lung inflammatory cells increase L-arginine uptake and metabolism by both NOS and arginase following in vivo silica exposure. The increase in L-arginine uptake may represent a mechanism to maintain an intracellular supply of this amino acid. NO can react to generate peroxynitrite, a potential mediator of lung injury following silica exposure.
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PMID:L-arginine uptake and metabolism by lung macrophages and neutrophils following intratracheal instillation of silica in vivo. 969 4

Cholinergic airway constriction is functionally antagonized by agonist-induced constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS)-derived nitric oxide (NO). Since cNOS and arginase, which hydrolyzes L-arginine to L-ornithine and urea, use L-arginine as a common substrate, competition between both enzymes for the substrate could be involved in the regulation of cholinergic airway reactivity. Using a perfused guinea-pig tracheal tube preparation, we investigated the modulation of methacholine-induced airway constriction by the recently developed, potent and specific arginase inhibitor N(Omega)-hydroxy-nor-L-arginine (nor-NOHA). Intraluminal (IL) administration of nor-NOHA caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of the maximal effect (E(max)) in response to IL methacholine, which was maximal in the presence of 5 microM nor-NOHA (E(max)=31.2+/-1.6% of extraluminal (EL) 40 mM KCl-induced constriction versus 51.6+/-2.1% in controls, P<0.001). In addition, the pEC(50) (-log(10) EC(50)) was slightly but significantly reduced in the presence of 5 microM nor-NOHA. The inhibition of E(max) by 5 microM nor-NOHA was concentration-dependently reversed by the NOS inhibitor N(Omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), reaching an E(max) of 89.4+/-7.7% in the presence of 0.5 mM L-NAME (P<0.01). A similar E(max) in the presence of 0.5 mM L-NAME was obtained in control preparations (85.2+/-9.7%, n.s.). In the presence of excess of exogenously applied L-arginine (5 mM), 5 microM nor-NOHA was ineffective (E(max)=33.1+/-5.8 versus 31.1+/-7.5% in controls, n.s.). The results indicate that endogenous arginase activity potentiates methacholine-induced airway constriction by inhibition of NO production, presumably by competition with cNOS for the common substrate, L-arginine. This finding may represent an important novel regulation mechanism of airway reactivity.
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PMID:Modulation of cholinergic airway reactivity and nitric oxide production by endogenous arginase activity. 1095 67

Macrophages are suspected to play a major role in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection pathogenesis, not only by their contribution to virus dissemination and persistence in the host but also through the dysregulation of immune functions. The production of NO, a highly reactive free radical, is thought to act as an important component of the host immune response in several viral infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of HIV type 1 (HIV-1) Ba-L replication on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression in primary cultures of human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) and then examine the effects of NO production on the level of HIV-1 replication. Significant induction of the iNOS gene was observed in cultured MDM concomitantly with the peak of virus replication. However, this induction was not accompanied by a measurable production of NO, suggesting a weak synthesis of NO. Surprisingly, exposure to low concentrations of a NO-generating compound (sodium nitroprusside) and L-arginine, the natural substrate of iNOS, results in a significant increase in HIV replication. Accordingly, reduction of L-arginine bioavailability after addition of arginase to the medium significantly reduced HIV replication. The specific involvement of NO was further demonstrated by a dose-dependent inhibition of viral replication that was observed in infected macrophages exposed to N(G)-monomethyl L-arginine and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), two inhibitors of the iNOS. Moreover, an excess of L-arginine reversed the addition of L-NAME, confirming that an arginine-dependent mechanism is involved. Finally, inhibitory effects of hemoglobin which can trap free NO in culture supernatants and in biological fluids in vivo confirmed that endogenously produced NO could interfere with HIV replication in human macrophages.
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PMID:Nitric oxide synthesis enhances human immunodeficiency virus replication in primary human macrophages. 1098 33

l-Arginine is metabolized either to polyamines through arginase and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activities or to citrulline and nitric oxide (NO, nitrogen monoxide) through the NO synthase (NOS) pathway. Polyamine levels and ODC activity are high in tumor cells. The aim of this study was to test whether N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), an inhibitor of NOS, modulates colon carcinogenesis. Adult male Wistar rats were treated with azoxymethane (AOM, 15 mg/kg ip), a chemical carcinogen, once a week for 2 weeks. One week after the second injection the rats were randomly divided into two groups. One group (n = 8) received l-NAME (10 mg/kg body wt/day) in drinking water. The control group (n = 8) received tap water. After 5 weeks, the rats receiving l-NAME showed enhanced mean basal arterial blood pressure, decreased heart rate, and a significant decrease of the cGMP content in the colonic mucosa. In both groups, AOM induced the formation of colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF). In l-NAME-treated rats, the number of ACF was higher than in controls by 47%. ODC activity was enhanced by 11-fold. S-Adenosyl-methionine-decarboxylase activity and putrescine concentration were significantly increased in the colonic mucosa of l-NAME-treated rats. The data suggest that l-NAME promotes carcinogen-induced preneoplastic changes in the colon by inhibiting NOS activity and by stimulating polyamine biosynthesis.
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PMID:Nitric oxide synthase inhibition promotes carcinogen-induced preneoplastic changes in the colon of rats. 1113 66

HIV transgenic mice bearing multiple copies of a noninfectious (Deltagag/pol) proviral DNA were tested for the systemic production of nitric oxide (NO). Serum levels of NO metabolites were reduced about 50% in HIV transgenic mice compared with nontransgenic sibling mice. This difference persisted when NO production was induced with peritoneal injections of bacterial endotoxin (LPS). Peritoneal inflammatory macrophages, but not resident peritoneal macrophages, derived from HIV-1 transgenic mice and activated in vitro with LPS and IFN-gamma (or tumor necrosis factor alpha and IFN-gamma) also produced about 50% less NO than did macrophages harvested from nontransgenic littermates. Isogenic, transgenic mice bearing mutated nef or vpr genes had normal serum levels of NO metabolites and their macrophages produced normal levels of NO when stimulated. An explanation for the reduced NO response of HIV[Vpr+Nef+] macrophages was not apparent from measured levels of iNOS expression, viral gene expression, or arginase activity in activated macrophages. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms with L-NAME or aminoguanidine blocked time-dependent increases in HIV gene expression in activated macrophages cultured ex vivo. Inhibition with L-NAME occurred despite high levels of NO generated by iNOS, and exogenously supplied NO induced HIV gene expression only weakly, suggesting that cNOS had the greater influence on proviral gene induction. This system is presented as a model of HIV-1 proviral gene expression and dysfunction in macrophages.
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PMID:A defect in HIV-1 transgenic murine macrophages results in deficient nitric oxide production. 1159 Jan 96

1. A deficiency of constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS)-derived nitric oxide (NO), due to reduced availability of L-arginine, importantly contributes to allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) after the early asthmatic reaction (EAR). Since cNOS and arginase use L-arginine as a common substrate, we hypothesized that increased arginase activity is involved in the allergen-induced NO deficiency and AHR. 2. Using a guinea-pig model of allergic asthma, we addressed this hypothesis by examining the effects of the specific arginase inhibitor N(omega)-hydroxy-nor-L-arginine (nor-NOHA) on the responsiveness to methacholine of isolated perfused tracheae from unchallenged control animals and from animals 6 h after ovalbumin challenge. Arginase activity in these preparations was investigated by measuring the conversion of L-[14C]arginine to [14C]urea. 3. Airways from allergen-challenged animals showed a 2 fold (P<0.001) increase in responsiveness to intraluminal (IL) administration of methacholine compared to controls. A similar hyperresponsiveness (1.8 fold, P<0.01) was observed in control airways incubated with the NOS inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 0.1 mM, IL), while L-NAME had no further effect on the airways from challenged animals. 4. Remarkably, 5 microM nor-NOHA (IL) normalized the hyperresponsiveness of challenged airways to basal control (P<0.001), and this effect was fully reversed again by 0.1 mM L-NAME (P<0.05). Moreover, arginase activity in homogenates of the hyperresponsive airways was 3.5 fold (P<0.001) enhanced compared to controls. 5. The results indicate that enhanced arginase activity contributes to allergen-induced deficiency of cNOS-derived NO and AHR after the EAR, presumably by competition with cNOS for the common substrate, L-arginine. This is the first demonstration that arginase is involved in the pathophysiology of asthma.
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PMID:Increased arginase activity underlies allergen-induced deficiency of cNOS-derived nitric oxide and airway hyperresponsiveness. 1202 42


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