The role of nitric oxide in mercury chloride-induced vasculitis in the brown Norway rat

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important factor in tissue trauma, but its detailed role in the pathogenesis remains unknown. In autoimmune vasculitis, it is possible that NO in one of the factors underlying tissue trauma and induction of autoimmune antibodies. To study its role on an animal model using mercury chloride (HgCl2), Brown Norway rats (BN rats) were given five injections of] HgCl2, each 1 mg/kg, over 10 days. Vasculitis and production of some autoimmune antibodies developed after HgCl2 injections. Urine nitrate/nitrite, metabolic production of NO, was produced in advance of the production of other autoimmune antibodies. To elucidate the role of NO, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), which is a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, was given in addition to HgCl2, at the daily dose of 30 mg/kg. There was no difference in production of autoimmune antibodies between this group and the control group, but urine protein excretion was suppressed in the HgCl2 + L-NAME group (p < 0.001). By immunohistochemical study, inducible NOS was positive in small vessels and mesangial cells in rat kidney. We conclude that in this animal model, over-production of NO leads to the production of autoimmune antibodies and inhibition of NOS production ameliorates proteinuria. These results suggest that NO plays an important role in the induction of renal injury in the rat model of autoimmune vasculitis.