Vasorelaxant properties of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor more closely resemble S-nitrosocysteine than nitric oxide

Studies of cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells using quantitative chemiluminescence techniques have shown that the amount of nitric oxide released under basal conditions, or in response to either bradykinin or the calcium ionophore A23187 is insufficient to account for the vasorelaxant activities of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) derived from the same source. This observation contradicts previous suggestions that nitric oxide and EDRF are the same compound, but may be explained if EDRF is a compound that contains nitric oxide within its structure but is a much more potent vasodilator than nitric oxide. Such a molecule could be one of several nitrosothiols which may yield nitric oxide after a one-electron reduction. The present experiments were carried out to test the possibility that the biological activities of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor might more closely resemble those of one of these compounds, S-nitrosocysteine, than nitric oxide. Nitric oxide release from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells was detected by chemiluminescence and bioassay experiments compared the vasodilator potencies of nitric oxide, S-nitrosocysteine, and EDRF. The results suggest that EDRF is much more likely to be a nitrosylated compound such as a nitrosothiol than authentic nitric oxide.     

Ultrastructural localization of choline acetyltransferase in vascular endothelial cells in rat brain

Furchgott and Zawadski have shown that acetylcholine (ACh) does not act directly on the smooth muscle of blood vessel walls, but rather via receptors on the endothelial cells lining the lumen, to release an endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF). As it is very unlikely that neurotransmitter released from the periarterial nerves, which are confined to the adventitial-medial border, diffuses all the way through the medial muscle coat before acting on endothelial cells to release EDRF to produce vasodilatation, this discovery has been regarded as an indication of a pathophysiological mechanism, rather than a physiological one (see refs 2, 3). ACh is rapidly degraded in the blood by acetylcholinesterase, so that ACh must be released locally to be effective on endothelial cells. Here we demonstrate the immunocytochemical localization of choline acetyltransferase in endothelial cells of small brain vessels, which is consistent with the view that the ACh originates from endothelial cells that can synthesize and store it. We suggest that release of ACh following damage to endothelial cells during ischaemia contributes to a pathophysiological mechanism of vasodilation which protects that segment of vessel from further damage as well as brain cells from hypoxia.     

Vascular endothelial cells synthesize nitric oxide from L-arginine

Nitric oxide (NO) released by vascular endothelial cells accounts for the relaxation of strips of vascular tissue and for the inhibition of platelet aggregation and platelet adhesion attributed to endothelium-derived relaxing factor. We now demonstrate that NO can be synthesized from L-arginine by porcine aortic endothelial cells in culture. Nitric oxide was detected by bioassay, chemiluminescence or by mass spectrometry. Release of NO from the endothelial cells induced by bradykinin and the calcium ionophore A23187 was reversibly enhanced by infusions of L-arginine and L-citrulline, but not D-arginine or other close structural analogues. Mass spectrometry studies using 15N-labelled L-arginine indicated that this enhancement was due to the formation of NO from the terminal guanidino nitrogen atom(s) of L-arginine. The strict substrate specificity of this reaction suggests that L-arginine is the precursor for NO synthesis in vascular endothelial cells.     

Nitric oxide release from a single cell measured in situ by a porphyrinic-based microsensor.

Nitric oxide is an important bioregulatory molecule, being responsible, for example, for activity of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF). Acute hypertension, diabetes, ischaemia and atherosclerosis are associated with abnormalities of EDRF. Nitric oxide is thought to be a retrograde messenger in the central nervous system. The technology is not yet available for rapid detection of NO released by a single cell in the presence of oxygen and/or nitrite, so the release, distribution and reactivity of endogenous NO in biological systems cannot be analysed. Here we describe a porphyrinic microsensor that we have developed and applied to monitoring NO release in a microsystem. We selectively measured in situ the NO released from a single cell with a response time of less than 10 ms. The microsensor consists of p-type semiconducting polymeric porphyrin and a cationic exchanger (Nafion) deposited on a thermally sharpened carbon fibre with a tip diameter of approximately 0.5 microns. The microsensor, which can be operated in either the amperometric or voltammetric mode, is characterized by a linear response up to 300 microM and a detection limit of 10 nM. Nitric oxide at the level of 10(-20) mols can be detected in a single cell.     

Endothelium-derived relaxing factor release on activation of NMDA receptors suggests role as intercellular messenger in the brain

In the vascular system, endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) is the name of the local hormone released from endothelial cells in response to vasodilators such as acetylcholine, bradykinin and histamine. It diffuses into underlying smooth muscle where it causes relaxation by activating guanylate cyclase, so producing a rise in cyclic GMP levels. It has been known for many years that in the central nervous system (CNS) the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate can elicit large increases in cGMP levels, particularly in the cerebellum where the turnover rate of cGMP is low. Recent evidence indicates that cell-cell interactions are involved in this response. We report here that by acting on NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors on cerebellar cells, glutamate induces the release of a diffusible messenger with strikingly similar properties to EDRF. This messenger is released in a Ca2+-dependent manner and its activity accounts for the cGMP responses that take place following NMDA receptor activation. In the CNS, EDRF may link activation of postsynaptic NMDA receptors to functional modifications in neighbouring presynaptic terminals and glial cells.     

Nitric oxide as an inhibitory non-adrenergic non-cholinergic neurotransmitter

Inhibitory non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) nerves are thought to be important in the autonomic innervation of the gastrointestinal tract and other organ systems. The nature of their neurotransmitter is still debated. Speculation that nitric oxide (NO), formed from L-arginine in neuronal structures and other cells, could act as a neurotransmitter, is not yet supported by demonstration of its release upon nerve stimulation. Using a superfusion bioassay, we report the release of a vasorelaxant factor upon stimulation of the NANC nerves in the canine ileocolonic junction. Several pieces of evidence, including the selectivity of the bioassay tissues, chemical instability, inactivation by superoxide anion and haemoglobin, inhibition by NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) and potentiation by L-arginine all indicated that NO accounted for the biological activity of this transferable NANC factor.     

Superoxide anion is involved in the breakdown of endothelium-derived vascular relaxing factor

Endothelium-derived vascular relaxing factor (EDRF) is a humoral agent that is released by vascular endothelium and mediates vasodilator responses induced by various substances including acetylcholine and bradykinin. EDRF is very unstable, with a half-life of between 6 and 50 s, and is clearly distinguishable from prostacyclin. The chemical structure of EDRF is unknown but it has been suggested that it is either a hydroperoxy- or free radical-derivative of arachidonic acid or an unstable aldehyde, ketone or lactone. We have examined the role of superoxide anion (O-2) in the inactivation of EDRF released from vascular endothelial cells cultured on microcarrier beads and bioassayed using a cascade of superfused aortic smooth muscle strips. With this system, we have now demonstrated that EDRF is protected from breakdown by superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Cu2+, but not by catalase, and is inactivated by Fe2+. These findings indicate that O-2 contributes significantly to the instability of EDRF.     

EDRF coordinates the behaviour of vascular resistance vessels

Constriction of vascular smooth muscle in response to the stimulus of raised intravascular pressure--the myogenic response--represents a positive feedback mechanism which, if unopposed, could theoretically lead to instability in the intact circulation. Dilation in response to increased intraluminal flow would provide an opposing feedback mechanism which could confer overall stability. Flow-dependent dilation in conduit vessels is mediated by endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), but the relationship between flow and EDRF activity has not been studied in resistance vessels in situ. We here demonstrate that EDRF can coordinate the aggregate hydrodynamic properties of an intact network. Under control conditions, EDRF maintains a fourth-power relationship between diameter and flow so that the pressure gradient in each vessel asymptotically approaches a constant value at high flow rates. Basal EDRF release may also maintain a similar spatial distribution of flow at different flow rates, even under conditions of moderate pharmacological constriction.     

硒对NO诱导的内皮细胞损伤的抑制机制研究

用外源性NO供体S－亚硝基谷胱甘肽（GSNO）处理人脐静脉内皮细胞系ECV－304细胞，研究其对细胞的损伤机制，并探讨硒在这一过程中的保护作用，通过MTT法测定细胞存活率，分光光度法[测定细胞LDH漏出率及细胞脂质过氧化水平，采用荧光标记技术研究细胞膜流动性变化，结果表明，NO可引起细胞脂质过氧化水平升高，细胞膜流动性下降，导致ECV－304细胞损伤，其作用具有浓度效应，细胞内硒可通过抑制细胞脂质过氧化水平及细胞膜流动性变化从而抑制NO诱导的细胞损伤。     

NO,H2O2介导根系渗透胁迫和脱落酸诱导的气孔关闭

运用表皮实验和激光扫描共聚焦显微镜技术对NO和H2O2在根系渗透胁迫和外源脱落酸（ABA）处理诱导蚕豆气孔关闭中的作用及其相互关系进行了研究．结果表明，渗透胁迫及外源ABA处理既促进保卫细胞内源NO和H2O2形成，也诱导气孔关闭；外源H2O2和SNP可促进气孔关闭，也分别诱导保卫细胞NO和H2O2产生．还对根系渗透胁迫诱导蚕豆气孔关闭中ABA、NO和H2O2的关系进行了讨论，认为渗透胁迫可能通过ABA诱导NO和H2O2产生，促进气孔关闭且NO和H2O2之间存在相互作用．     

Capillary endothelial cells express basic fibroblast growth factor, a mitogen that promotes their own growth

Angiogenesis, the formation of new capillaries, which is observed in embryonic and injured tissue and is particularly prominent in the vicinity of solid tumours, involves the migration and proliferation of capillary endothelial cells. It is probably triggered by agents, such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), thought to be released from tissues adjacent to proliferating capillaries. As well as being a potent inducer of cell division in capillary endothelial cells in vitro, bFGF can act as an angiogenic agent in vivo. It is present in a wide variety of richly vascularized tissues including brain, pituitary, retina, adrenal gland, kidney, corpus luteum, placenta and various tumours. So far, however, the normal bFGF-producing cell species in these tissues have not been identified. We report here that capillary endothelial cells express the bFGF gene, that they produce and release bFGF and that bFGF derived from them can stimulate the proliferation of capillary endothelial cells. We conclude that bFGF can act as a self-stimulating growth factor for capillary endothelial cells, and that it is possible that the formation of new capillaries is induced by capillary endothelial cells themselves.     

酸性成纤维细胞生长因子对人脐静脉血管内皮细胞一氧化氮生成的影响

目的：观察人酸性成纤维细胞生长因子（haFGF）及其非促分裂型突变体（nmhamF）对人脐静脉血管内皮细胞（HEC）一氧化氮（NO）生成的影响。方法：实验分3组,分别为haFGF组、nmhaFGF组和对照组。用Griess反应法检测细胞培养上清NO相对含量（N嘎）。结果：haFGF和nmhaFGF都能诱导内皮细胞NO的生成,但同样条件下,nmhaFGF组诱导产生NO的相对含量与对照组比较在0．10、1．00、10．00、50．00、100．00ng／mL时均高（P〈0．01）。与haFGF组比较在0．10、1．00、10．00、50．00ng／mL时nmhaFGF组诱导产生NO的相对含量明显下降（P〈0．01）,在0．01和100．00ng／mL时也有降低（P〈0．05）。结论：nmhaFGF仍保留一定的诱导内皮细胞产生NO的作用,但NO生成量有显著下降。     

温莪术油对脂多糖活化巨噬细胞释放一氧化氮的抑制作用

研究温莪术挥发油及其主要有效成分对活化巨噬细胞释放一氧化氮的抑制作用．方法：以脂多糖（LPS）诱导小鼠单核巨噬细胞RAW264．7释放NO，通过Griess法测定培养上清中NO的释放量并计算抑制率，通过MTT法评价细胞毒性．结果：温莪术挥发油在1-10μg·mL^-1浓度范围内对活化的小鼠巨噬细胞释放NO具有明显的抑制作用，并呈现良好的剂量依赖关系．其主要有效成分呋喃二烯、莪术烯、吉马酮与莪术醇对脂多糖诱导的小鼠巨噬细胞释放NO表现出显著的抑制活性，IC50分别为6．5、5．8、9．4、9．9μmol·L^-1,结论：呋喃二烯、吉马酮、莪术烯、莪术醇对活化的小鼠巨噬细胞释放NO具有明显的抑制作用，以上结果可为温莪术油的临床应用提供一定的理论基础和科学依据．     

Regulation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide production by the protein kinase Akt.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is the nitric oxide synthase isoform responsible for maintaining systemic blood pressure, vascular remodelling and angiogenesis. eNOS is phosphorylated in response to various forms of cellular stimulation, but the role of phosphorylation in the regulation of nitric oxide (NO) production and the kinase(s) responsible are not known. Here we show that the serine/threonine protein kinase Akt (protein kinase B) can directly phosphorylate eNOS on serine 1179 and activate the enzyme, leading to NO production, whereas mutant eNOS (S1179A) is resistant to phosphorylation and activation by Akt. Moreover, using adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, activated Akt increases basal NO release from endothelial cells, and activation-deficient Akt attenuates NO production stimulated by vascular endothelial growth factor. Thus, eNOS is a newly described Akt substrate linking signal transduction by Akt to the release of the gaseous second messenger NO.     

Hyperpolarization and relaxation of arterial smooth muscle caused by nitric oxide derived from the endothelium

Stimulation of the endothelial lining of arteries with acetylcholine results in the release of a diffusible substance that relaxes and hyperpolarizes the underlying smooth muscle. Nitric oxide (NO) has been a candidate for this substance, termed endothelium-derived relaxing factor. But there are several observations that argue against the involvement of NO in acetylcholine-induced hyperpolarization. First, exogenous NO has no effect on the membrane potential of canine mesenteric arteries. Second, although haemoglobin (believed to bind and inactivate NO (refs 11-15)) and methylene blue (which prevents the stimulation of guanylate cyclase) inhibit relaxation, neither has an effect on hyperpolarization. Finally, nitroprusside, thought to generate NO in vascular smooth muscle, relaxes rat aorta without increasing rubidium efflux. Nevertheless, nitrovasodilators, nitroprusside and nitroglycerin cause hyperpolarization in some arteries. NO might therefore be responsible for at least part of the hyperpolarization induced by acetylcholine. We now report that hyperpolarization and relaxation evoked by acetylcholine are reduced by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, an inhibitor of NO biosynthesis from L-arginine. Thus NO derived from the endothelium can cause hyperpolarization of vascular smooth muscle, which might also contribute to relaxation by closing voltage-dependent calcium channels. Our findings raise the possibility that hyperpolarization might be a component of NO signal transduction in neurons or inflammatory cells.     

Stimulation of bone resorption and inhibition of bone formation in vitro by human tumour necrosis factors

When leukocytes are exposed to mitogens or antigens in vitro, they release bone-resorbing activity into the culture supernatants which can be detected by bioassay. Like many lymphocyte-monocyte products, this activity has been difficult to purify because of its low abundance in activated leukocyte cultures and the unwieldy bioassay required to detect biological activity. Partially purified preparations of this activity inhibit bone collagen synthesis in organ cultures of fetal rat calvariae. Recent data suggest that both activated lymphocytes and monocytes release factors which could contribute to this activity. Recently, monocyte-derived tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and lymphocyte-derived tumour necrosis factor beta (TNF-beta) (previously called lymphotoxin), two multifunctional cytokines which have similar cytotoxic effects on neoplastic cell lines, have been purified to homogeneity and their complementary DNAs cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. As both of these cytokines are likely to be present in activated leukocyte supernatants, we tested purified recombinant preparations for their effects on bone resorption and bone collagen synthesis in vitro, and report here that both cytokines at 10(-7) to 10(-9) M caused osteoclastic bone resorption and inhibited bone collagen synthesis. These data suggest that at least part of the bone-resorbing activity present in activated leukocyte culture supernatants may be due to these cytokines.     

新鲜冰冻血浆（FFP）通过AMPK/Akt/eNOS通路促肺内皮细胞一氧化氮释放及机制研究

探讨新鲜冰冻血浆(FFP)对人肺正常微血管内皮细胞(HPMECs)一氧化氮(NO)释放的影响及其机制.采用NO/Nitrite/Nitrate分析法检测了体外培养内皮细胞HPMECs经FFP处理后不同时间点细胞上清NO含量.结果显示:与培养基空白对照组相比,FFP显著增加内皮细胞NO生成;采用磷酸化蛋白激酶抗体芯片和免疫印迹方法筛选和鉴定FFP处理后内皮细胞相关蛋白激酶磷酸化,结果为FFP显著增加内皮细胞AMPKα1,Akt1和eNOS蛋白的磷酸化.进一步分别采用Compound C(AMPK抑制剂),LY294002(PI3K/Akt抑制剂)或L-NAME(NOS抑制剂)预处理细胞,阻挡AMPKα1/Akt1/eNOS信号转导通路.结果显示上述三种抑制剂均能抑制FFP诱导eNOS激活和NO生成,表明AMPKα1/Akt1/eNOS信号转导通路介导FFP诱导NO分泌参与血管保护.     

一氧化氮治疗肿瘤的研究进展

一氧化氮（NO）是一种半衰期很短的气体分子，对细胞膜具有高穿透性，能在人体内传递重要信息，并具有调节细胞的功能.NO气体分子既能维持正常细胞的生理功能和活性，又能选择性地快速耗尽肿瘤细胞的能量，诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡.研究表明：NO可以通过多种机制实现肿瘤治疗.已有一些NO供体药物表现出良好的抗肿瘤活性，精确控制NO在肿瘤部位的释放，可杀死肿瘤细胞.因此，NO气体疗法作为一种肿瘤治疗策略具有一定的应用前景.文章简述了NO的生理学特性和几种典型的NO供体，以及释放NO的生物材料在生物医学领域的应用进展.