S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine Research Articles

Opioidergic conditioning of the human heart muscle in nitric oxide-dependent mechanism.

Opioidergic conditioning is well documented to trigger cardioprotection against ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R) injury. Previous studies on animal models have suggested that nitric oxide (NO) mediates the beneficial effect of opioids, but the role of NO in humans seems to be controversial. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of NO modulators on opioid-induced cardioprotection in the human myocardium. Trabeculae of the human right atria were electrically driven in an organ bath and subjected to simulated I/R injury. The non-selective inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) - N-methyl-l-arginine (LNMMA), the donor of NO - S-Nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) or morphine (in the amount of 10-4 M) were used at the time of re-oxygenation. The additional trabecula was subjected to the hypoxia protocol only (control). The contractility of the myocardium was assessed as the maximal force of a contraction (Amax), the rate of rise of the force of a contraction (Slope L) and the cardiac muscle relaxation - as the rate of decay of the force of a contraction (Slope T). The application of 100 μM LNMMA resulted in the decrease of Amax, Slope L and Slope T during the re-oxygenation period as compared to control. The application of 10-4 M morphine and/or 100 μM SNAP resulted in a partial reversal of the detrimental influence of LNMMA. At the re-oxygenation period, the blockade of NO synthesis has a deleterious effect on the systolic and diastolic function of the human myocardium as well as attenuates the beneficial effect of morphine conditioning.

Achieving Long-Term Biocompatible Silicone via Covalently Immobilized S-Nitroso- N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) That Exhibits 4 Months of Sustained Nitric Oxide Release.

Ever since the role of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) in controlling a wide variety of biological functions was discovered approximately three decades back, multiple NO-releasing polymeric materials have been developed. However, most of these materials are typically short lived due to the inefficient incorporation of the NO donor molecules within the polymer matrix. In the present study, S-nitroso- N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP) is covalently attached to poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) to create a highly stable nitric oxide (NO) releasing material for biomedical applications. By tethering SNAP to the cross-linker of PDMS, the NO donor is unable to leach into the surrounding environment. This is the first time that a sustainable NO release and bacterial inhibition for over 125 days has been achieved by any NO-releasing polymer with supporting evidence of potential long-term hemocompatibility and biocompatibility. The material proves to have very high antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus by demonstrating a 99.99% reduction in the first 3 days in a continuous flow CDC bioreactor, whereas a similar inhibitory potential of 99.50% was maintained by the end of 1 month. Hemocompatibility of SNAP-PDMS was tested using a rabbit extracorporeal circuit (ECC) model over a 4 h period. Thrombus formation was greatly reduced within the SNAP-PDMS-coated ECCs compared to the control circuits, observing a 78% reduction in overall thrombus mass accumulation. These results demonstrate the potential of utilizing this material for blood and tissue contacting biomedical devices in long-term clinical applications where infection and unwanted clotting are major issues.

Nitric oxide induces epidermal stem cell de-adhesion by targeting integrin β1 and Talin via the cGMP signalling pathway

ObjectiveNitric oxide (NO) has emerged as a critical molecule in wound healing, but the mechanism underlying its activity is not well defined. Here, we explored the effect of NO on the de-adhesion of epidermal stem cells (ESCs) and the mechanism involved in this process. MethodsThe effects of NO on isolated human and mouse ESCs cultured in the presence of different concentrations of the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP) were evaluated in cell de-adhesion assays mediated by integrin β and collagen IV. Subsequently, changes in the expression of integrin β1 and the phosphorylation of Talin in response to different doses of SNAP were detected by Western blot analysis and real-time PCR in vitro. Furthermore, the roles of various soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC)- and protein kinase G (PKG)-specific inhibitors and agonists in the effects of NO on ESC de-adhesion, integrin β1 expression and Talin phosphorylation were analysed. Moreover, the effects of NO on integrin β1 expression and sGC/cGMP/PKG signalling-mediated wound healing were detected in vivo using 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) label-retaining cells (LRCs) in a scald model and an excision wound healing model, respectively. ResultsSNAP promoted primary human and mouse ESC de-adhesion in a concentration-dependent manner in the integrin β1-and collagen IV-mediated adhesion assay, and this effect was suppressed by the sGC and PKG inhibitors. Additionally, integrin β1 expression and Talin phosphorylation at serine 425 (S425) were negatively correlated with SNAP levels, and this effect was blocked by the sGC and PKG inhibitors. Moreover, the roles of NO in integrin β1 expression and cGMP signalling pathway-mediated wound healing were confirmed in vivo. ConclusionOur data indicate that the stimulatory effects of NO on ESC de-adhesion related to integrin β1 expression and Talin phosphorylation were mediated by the cGMP signalling pathway, which is likely involved in wound healing.

Capillary response to skeletal muscle contraction: evidence that redundancy between vasodilators is physiologically relevant during active hyperaemia.

The current theory behind matching blood flow to metabolic demand of skeletal muscle suggests redundant interactions between metabolic vasodilators. Capillaries play an important role in blood flow control given their ability to respond to muscle contraction by causing conducted vasodilatation in upstream arterioles that control their perfusion. We sought to determine whether redundancies occur between vasodilators at the level of the capillary by stimulating the capillaries with muscle contraction and vasodilators relevant to muscle contraction. We identified redundancies between potassium and both adenosine and nitric oxide, between nitric oxide and potassium, and between adenosine and both potassium and nitric oxide. During muscle contraction, we demonstrate redundancies between potassium and nitric oxide as well as between potassium and adenosine. Our data show that redundancy is physiologically relevant and involved in the coordination of the vasodilator response during muscle contraction at the level of the capillaries. We sought to determine if redundancy between vasodilators is physiologically relevant during active hyperaemia. As inhibitory interactions between vasodilators are indicative of redundancy, we tested whether vasodilators implicated in mediating active hyperaemia (potassium (K+ ), adenosine (ADO) and nitric oxide (NO)) inhibit one another's vasodilatory effects through direct application of pharmacological agents and during muscle contraction. Using the hamster cremaster muscle and intravital microscopy, we locally stimulated capillaries with one vasodilator in the absence and the presence of a second vasodilator (10-7 m S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), 10-7 m ADO, 10mm KCl) applied sequentially and simultaneously, and observed the response in the associated upstream 4A arteriole controlling the perfusion of the stimulated capillary. We found that KCl significantly attenuated SNAP- and ADO-induced vasodilatations by ∼49.7% and ∼128.0% respectively and ADO significantly attenuated KCl- and SNAP-induced vasodilatations by ∼94.7% and ∼59.6%, respectively. NO significantly attenuated KCl vasodilatation by 93.8%. Further, during muscle contraction we found that inhibition of NO production using l-NG -nitroarginine methyl ester and inhibition of ADO receptors using xanthine amine congener was effective at inhibiting contraction-induced vasodilatation but only in the presence of K+ release channel inhibition. Thus, only when the inhibiting vasodilator K+ was blocked was the second vasodilator, NO or ADO, able to produce effective vasodilatation. Therefore, we show that there are inhibitory interactions between specific vasodilators at the level of the capillary. Further, these inhibitions can be observed during muscle contraction indicating that redundancies between vasodilators are physiologically relevant and influence vasodilatation during active hyperaemia.

Effects of Nitric Oxide on Voltage-Gated K⁺ Currents in Human Cardiac Fibroblasts through the Protein Kinase G and Protein Kinase A Pathways but Not through S-Nitrosylation.

This study investigated the expression of voltage-gated K+ (KV) channels in human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs), and the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the KV currents, and the underlying phosphorylation mechanisms. In reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, two types of KV channels were detected in HCFs: delayed rectifier K+ channel and transient outward K+ channel. In whole-cell patch-clamp technique, delayed rectifier K+ current (IK) exhibited fast activation and slow inactivation, while transient outward K+ current (Ito) showed fast activation and inactivation kinetics. Both currents were blocked by 4-aminopyridine. An NO donor, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), increased the amplitude of IK in a concentration-dependent manner with an EC50 value of 26.4 µM, but did not affect Ito. The stimulating effect of SNAP on IK was blocked by pretreatment with 1H-(1,2,4)oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) or by KT5823. 8-bromo-cyclic GMP stimulated the IK. The stimulating effect of SNAP on IK was also blocked by pretreatment with KT5720 or by SQ22536. Forskolin and 8-bromo-cyclic AMP each stimulated IK. On the other hand, the stimulating effect of SNAP on IK was not blocked by pretreatment of N-ethylmaleimide or by DL-dithiothreitol. Our data suggest that NO enhances IK, but not Ito, among KV currents of HCFs, and the stimulating effect of NO on IK is through the PKG and PKA pathways, not through S-nitrosylation.

Nitric oxide-releasing antibacterial albumin plastic for biomedical applications.

Designing innovative materials for biomedical applications is desired to prevent surface fouling and risk of associated infections arising in the surgical care patient. In the present study, albumin plastic was fabricated and nitric oxide (NO) donor, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), was incorporated through a solvent swelling process. The albumin-SNAP plastic was evaluated in terms of mechanical and thermal properties, and bacterial adhesion to the plastic surface. Thermal and viscoelastic analyses showed no significant difference between albumin-SNAP plastics and pure, water-plasticized albumin samples. Bacteria adhesion tests revealed that albumin-SNAP plastic can significantly reduce the surface-bound viable gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial cells by 98.7 and 98.5%, respectively, when compared with the traditional polyvinyl chloride medical grade tubing material. The results from this study demonstrate NO-releasing albumin plastic's potential as a material for biomedical device applications. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1535-1542, 2018.

Biotemplated Synthesis and Characterization of Mesoporous Nitric Oxide-Releasing Diatomaceous Earth Silica Particles.

Diatomaceous earth (DE), a nanoporous silica material composed of fossilized unicellular marine algae, possesses unique mechanical, molecular transport, optical, and photonic properties exploited across an array of biomedical applications. The utility of DE in these applications stands to be enhanced through the incorporation of nitric oxide (NO) technology shown to modulate essential physiological processes. In this work, the preparation and characterization of a biotemplated diatomaceous earth-based nitric oxide delivery scaffold are described for the first time. Three aminosilanes [(3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES), N-(6-aminohexyl)aminomethyltriethoxysilane (AHAMTES), and 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane (APDMES)] were evaluated for their ability to maximize NO loading via the covalent attachment of N-acetyl-d-penicillamine (NAP) to diatomaceous earth. The use of APTES cross-linker resulted in maximal NAP tethering to the DE surface, and NAP-DE was converted to NO-releasing S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP)-DE by nitrosation. The total NO loading of SNAP-DE was determined by chemiluminescence to be 0.0372 ± 0.00791 μmol/mg. Retention of diatomaceous earth's unique mesoporous morphology throughout the derivatization was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. SNAP-DE exhibited 92.95% killing efficiency against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus as compared to the control. The WST-8-based cytotoxicity testing showed no negative impact on mouse fibroblast cells, demonstrating the biocompatible potential of SNAP-DE. The development of NO releasing diatomaceous earth presents a unique means of delivering tunable levels of NO to materials across the fields of polymer chemistry, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing.

Attenuation of Thrombin-Mediated Fibrin Formation via Changes in Fibrinogen Conformation Induced by Reaction with S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine, but not S-nitrosoglutathione.

Previous work in a 4 h rabbit thrombogenicity model has shown that a nitric oxide- (NO) generating polymer extracorporeal circuits (ECC) with infusion of S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) preserved platelets eventhough platelets were activated as shown by an increase in the glycoprotein, p-selectin. The platelet preservation mechanism was shown to be due to a changing fibrinogen structure leading to attenuation of platelet aggregation. Understanding the effects that SNAP, another RSNO, S-nitroso-glutathione (GSNO) as well as the non-RSNO, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), may have on human fibrinogen polymerization, this in vitro study evaluated the released NO effects on the thrombin-mediated fibrin formation and fibrinogen structure. Thrombin-induced fibrin formation at 300 μM SNAP (50 + 11% of baseline) was significantly reduced compared to SNAP's parent, N-acetyl-penicillamine (NAP) (95 + 13%) after 1 h of RSNO exposure. GSNO, its parent, glutathione (GSH) and 1000 ppm NO gas did not attenuate the thrombin-mediated fibrin formation. SNAP, NAP and SNP exposure for 1 h, however, did not decrease thrombin activity by directly inhibiting thrombin itself. Changes in fibrinogen conformation as measured by intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence significantly decreased in the 300 μM SNAP (38057 + 1196 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) and SNP (368617 + 541 MFI) groups versus the NAP control (47937 + 1196 MFI). However, infused 1000 ppm NO gas had no direct effect on the ITF after 1 h incubation at 37°C. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that fibrinogen degradation by 0.03 U/ml thrombin was concentration-dependently reduced after 1 h with SNAP but not with NAP or SNP. Western blotting showed RSNOs, SNAP, NAP and the non-RSNO, SNP-incubated fibrinogen solutions showed that the percent level of the Aγ dimer to total Aγ dimer + γ monomer was significantly reduced in the case of the SNAP group when compared to SNP group. These results suggest that NO donors such as SNAP and SNP induce fibrinogen conformational changes by potentially nitrosating fibrinogen tyrosine residues. These NO-mediated fibrinogen changes induced via NO donors may provide another mechanism of NO for improving thromboresistance in ECC.

Nitric oxide prevents H2O2-induced apoptosis in SK-N-MC human neuroblastoma cells.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a cellular signaling molecule in many physiological and pathological processes including neuroprotector. Here we examined the antiapoptotic effect of NO in SK-N-MC cells. H2O2 treatment (10-200 μM) induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner and pretreatment of cells with 100 μM S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), an NO donor, attenuated the occurrence of H2O2-induced cell death. DAPI staining showed H2O2-induced nuclear fragmentation and NO treatment suppressed it. NO inhibited the proteolytic activation of caspase-3 and mitochondrial cytochrome c release. Treatment of soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor ODQ decreased the protective effect of SNAP on H2O2-treated cells and increased caspase 3-like enzyme activity and activation, cytochrome c release, PARP cleavage, and DNA fragmentation, indicating that cGMP is a key mediator in NO-mediated antiapoptosis. The cGMP analog 8-Br-cGMP blocked H2O2-induced apoptotic cell death; reduction of caspase-3 enzyme, cytochrome c release, and caspase-8 and -9. These preventive effects of SNAP and 8-Br-cGMP were suppressed by PKG inhibitor KT5823. Levels of PKGI, PKGII, and p-VASP proteins were increased by SNAP and 8-Br-cGMP and suppressed by KT5823 treatment. These results indicate that PKG is a downstream signal mediator in the suppression of apoptosis by NO and cGMP. Akt activation was inhibited the PI3K inhibitors LY294002 and Wortmannin, resulting in the inhibition of cell viability and increase of cytochrome c release. SNAP induced phosphorylation of Akt and Bad and then increased the interactions between 14-3-3β and p-Bad. These data suggest that the NO suppresses H2O2-induced SK-N-MC cell apoptosis by suppressing apoptosis signal mediating the interaction between 14‐3‐3β and Bad phosphorylation via PKG/PI3K/Akt.

Effects of Ghrelin on iNOS-Derived NO Promoted LPS-Induced Pulmonary Alveolar Epithelial A549 Cells Apoptosis

Background/Aims: In the process of abnormal apoptosis of pulmonary alveolar type II epithelial A549 cells in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity in the lung, nitric oxide (NO) production, and the level of protein S-nitrosylation were increased. However, the role of excessive NO production in sepsis-induced ARDS is controversial. Additionally, ghrelin is a growth hormone that exerts an inhibitory role in cell apoptosis. We examined the effect of NO and S-nitrosylation on apoptosis of A549 cells induced by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and molecular mechanism underlying the anti-apoptotic effect of ghrelin in this process. Methods: Flow cytometry and qPCR were used to detect lentiviral infection efficiency and iNOS gene level, respectively. Extracellular and intracellular NO levels were observed by Griess assay kit and DAF-FM DA. Mitochondrial transmembrane potential, apoptosis rate and SNO levels were determined by flow cytometry, Biotin-Switch method and immunofluoresence staining. The expression of iNOS, apoptotic proteins and JNK were assessed by immunoblot analysis. Results: The results showed about two times increase in iNOS expression and intracellular NO levels response to LPS exposure at 24 hours (P< 0.05), while not in extracellular NO levels. NO donors, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) significantly raised (36.7%, P< 0.05; 38.4%, P< 0.05; 41.8%, P< 0.05) extracellular NO levels without influencing the intracellular NO levels. LPS increased the apoptosis rate (42.4%±2.6% vs 2.8%±1%, P< 0.05) of A549 accompanied by increased Bax levels and decreased Bcl-2 levels through activating JNK signaling, which was reversed when we diminished the iNOS expression in A549 cells using lentiviral vectors encoding iNOS shRNA in the presence of LPS (24.8%±3.8% vs 42.4%±2.6%, P< 0.05). However, the apoptosis rate was increased when SNAP was added (38.8%±1.3% vs 24.8%±3.8%, P< 0.05). Furthermore, we investigated whether ghrelin exert a protective role against LPS-induced apoptosis and the potential mechanism involved in. Ghrelin alone appeared to decrease iNOS expression (32.3%, P< 0.05; 42.3%, P< 0.05), which showed no signifiant difference between LPS+ghrelin group and LPS group. However, this study showed that ghrelin decreased the intracellular NO production (38.9%, P< 0.05), protein S-nitrosylation levels (33.5%, P< 0.05), Bax protein expression (70.2%, P< 0.05), whereas increasing Bcl-2 protein expression (14.1%, P< 0.05) and mitochondrial transmembrane potential (∆ΨM) (20.7%, P< 0.05) in the presence of LPS. Conclusion: The data suggested that NO derived from iNOS induced by LPS stimulation exerts an important role in promoting apoptosis of A549 cells, and ghrelin abolished intracellular NO production and protein S-nitrosylation levels, abrogating the apoptosis of A549 cells partly through inhibiting mitochondrial-dependent pathways.

Studies on the Dual Cytotoxicity and Antioxidant Properties of Berberis vulgaris Extracts and Its Main Constituent Berberine.

The present study attempts to investigate the cytotoxic activity of ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of the Moroccan Berberis vulgaris and its major component berberine, together with exploring their antioxidant properties. It also consists of studying the combination effect of berberine and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, against the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7). Using the MTT assay, we report a differential cytotoxic effect of ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts since the ethanol extract is more cytotoxic than the ethyl acetate one, with IC50 = 3.54 μg/mL and 596.71 μg/mL, respectively. Interestingly, no cytotoxic effect was observed against normal cells. Furthermore, these extracts showed a remarkable antioxidant activity as measured by the DPPH free radicals scavenging assay. In fact, the IC50 values are 69.65 μg/mL and 77.75 μg/mL for the ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively. In addition, several concentrations of berberine, when combined with the NO donor used at IC30, induced a synergistic cytotoxic activity at concentrations ranging from 8.40 μM to 33.60 μM, as revealed by the combination index values, using the Chou–Talalay method. However, at the other concentrations tested, an antagonistic effect was observed. The observed cytotoxicity was related to apoptosis induction as demonstrated by the annexin-V-streptavidin FITC-staining analysis.

Nitric oxide releasing vascular catheters for eradicating bacterial infection.

The interaction of blood proteins with an implant surface is not only a fundamental phenomenon but is also key to several important medical complications. Plasma proteins binding on the surface of intravascular catheters can promote bacterial adhesion leading to the risk of local and systemic complications such as catheter-related blood infections (CRBIs). The incidences of CRBIs in the United States amount to more than 250,000 cases/year with an attributable mortality of up to 35% and an annual healthcare expenditure of $2.3 billion approximately. This demands the development of truly nonthrombogenic and antimicrobial catheters. In the present study, catheters were fabricated by incorporating a nitric oxide (NO) donor molecule, S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) in a hydrophobic medical grade polymer, Elasteon-E2As. NO offers antithrombotic and antibacterial attributes without promoting drug resistance and cytotoxicity. E2As-SNAP catheters were first coated with fibrinogen, a blood plasma protein plays a key role in clot formation and eventual bacterial adhesion to the implant surface. The suitability of the catheters for biomedical applications was tested in vitro for contact angle, NO release kinetics, inhibition of bacteria, and absence of cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells. The highly hydrophobic catheters released NO in the physiological range that inhibited >99% bacterial viability on fibrinogen-coated catheters in a 24 h study. No toxic response of E2As-SNAP catheters leachate was observed using a standard cytotoxicity assay with mouse fibroblast cells. Overall, the results showed that the E2As-SNAP catheters can inhibit viable bacteria even in the presence of blood proteins without causing a cytotoxic response. The fundamentals of this study are applicable to other blood-contacting medical devices as well. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 2849-2857, 2018.

Covalent Grafting of Antifouling Phosphorylcholine-Based Copolymers with Antimicrobial Nitric Oxide Releasing Polymers to Enhance Infection-Resistant Properties of Medical Device Coatings.

Medical device coatings that resist protein adhesion and bacterial contamination are highly desirable in the healthcare industry. In this work, an antifouling zwitterionic terpolymer, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-co-butyl methacrylate-co-benzophenone (BPMPC), is covalently grafted to a nitric oxide (NO) releasing antimicrobial biomedical grade copolymer of silicone-polycarbonate-urethane, CarboSil, to significantly enhance the biocompatibility, nonspecific protein repulsion and infection-resistant properties. The NO donor embedded into CarboSil is S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) and covalent grafting of the BPMPC is achieved through rapid UV-cross-linking, providing a stable, hydrophilic coating that has excellent durability over a period of several weeks under physiological conditions. The protein adsorption test results indicate a significant reduction (∼84-93%) of protein adhesion on the test samples compared to the control samples. Bacteria tests were also performed using the common nosocomial pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus. Test samples containing both NO donor and BPMPC show a 99.91 ± 0.06% reduction of viable bacteria when compared to control samples. This work demonstrates a synergistic combination of both antimicrobial and antifouling properties in medical devices using NO donors and zwitterionic copolymers that can be covalently grafted to any polymer surface.

In vivo and in silico evaluation of a new nitric oxide donor, S,S′-dinitrosobucillamine

PurposeIn a previous work, we have synthetized a new dinitrosothiol, i.e. S,S′-dinitrosobucillamine BUC(NO)2 combining S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) and S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (NACNO) in its structure. When exposed to isolated aorta, we observed a 1.5-fold increase of •NO content and a more potent vasorelaxation (1 log higher pD2) compared to NACNO and SNAP alone or combined (Dahboul et al., 2014). In the present study, we analyzed the thermodynamics and kinetics for the release of •NO through computational modeling techniques and correlated it to plasma assays. Then BUC(NO)2 was administered in vivo to rats, assuming it will induce higher and/or longer hypotensive effects than its two constitutive S-mononitrosothiols. MethodsFree energies for the release of •NO entities have been computed at the density functional theory level assuming an implicit model for the aqueous environment. Degradation products of BUC(NO)2 were evaluated in vitro under heating and oxidizing conditions using HPLC coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Plasma from rats were spiked with RSNO and kinetics of RSNO degradation was measured using the classical Griess-Saville method. Blood pressure was measured in awake male Wistar rats using telemetry (n = 5, each as its own control, 48 h wash-out periods between subcutaneous injections under transient isoflurane anesthesia, random order: 7 mL/kg vehicle, 3.5, 7, 14 μmol/kg SNAP, NACNO, BUC(NO)2 and an equimolar mixture of SNAP + NACNO in order to mimic the number of •NO contained in BUC(NO)2). Variations of mean (ΔMAP, reflecting arterial dilation) and pulse arterial pressures (ΔPAP, indirectly reflecting venodilation, used to determine effect duration) vs. baseline were recorded for 4 h. ResultsComputational modeling highlights the fact that the release of the first •NO radical in BUC(NO)2 requires a free energy which is intermediate between the values obtained for SNAP and NACNO. However, the release of the second •NO radical is significantly favored by the concerted formation of an intramolecular disulfide bond. The corresponding oxidized compound was also characterized as related substance obtained under degradation conditions. The in vitro degradation rate of BUC(NO)2 was significantly greater than for the other RSNO. For equivalent low and medium •NO-load, BUC(NO)2 produced a hypotension identical to NACNO, SNAP and the equimolar mixture of SNAP + NACNO, but its effect was greater at higher doses (-62 ± 8 and -47 ± 14 mmHg, maximum ΔMAP for BUC(NO)2 and SNAP + NACNO, respectively). Its duration of effect on PAP (-50%) lasted from 35 to 95 min, i.e. shorter than for the other RSNO (from 90 to 135 min for the mixture SNAP + NACNO). ConclusionA faster metabolism explains the abilities of BUC(NO)2 to release higher amounts of •NO and to induce larger hypotension but shorter-lasting effects than those induced by the SNAP + NACNO mixture, despite an equivalent •NO-load.

Reduction of nitric oxide level results in maturation promoting factor destabilization during spontaneous meiotic exit from diplotene arrest in rat cumulus oocytes complexes cultured invitro.

Nitric oxides (NO) act as one of the major signal molecules and modulate various cell functions including oocyte meiosis in mammals. The present study was designed to investigate the mechanism of NO action during spontaneous meiotic exit from diplotene arrest (EDA) in rat cumulus oocytes complexes (COCs) cultured invitro. Diplotene-arrested COCs collected from ovary of immature female rats after 20 IU pregnant mare's serum gonadotropins (PMSG) for 48 h were exposed to various concentrations of NO donor, S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, aminoguanidine (AG) for 3h invitro and downstream factors were analyzed. Our results suggest that SNAP inhibited, while AG induced EDA in a concentration-dependent manner. The iNOS-mediated total NO, cyclic nucleotides and cell division cycle 25B (Cdc25B) levels were reduced significantly. The decreased Cdc25B was associated with the increased Thr14/Tyr15 phosphorylated cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) level and decreased Thr161 phosphorylated Cdk1 as well as cyclin B1 levels leading to maturation promoting factor (MPF) destabilization. The destabilized MPF finally induced spontaneous EDA. Taken together, these results suggest that reduction of iNOS-mediated NO level destabilizes MPF during spontaneous EDA in rat COCs cultured invitro.

Endogenous nitric oxide inhibits spinal NMDA receptor activity and pain hypersensitivity induced by nerve injury

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in nociceptive transmission at the spinal cord level remains uncertain. Increased activity of spinal N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors contributes to development of chronic pain induced by peripheral nerve injury. In this study, we determined how endogenous NO affects NMDA receptor activity of spinal cord dorsal horn neurons in control and spinal nerve-ligated rats. Bath application of the NO precursor l-arginine or the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) significantly inhibited NMDA receptor currents of spinal dorsal horn neurons in both sham control and nerve-injured rats. Inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) or blocking the S-nitrosylation reaction with N-ethylmaleimide abolished the inhibitory effects of l-arginine on NMDA receptor currents recorded from spinal dorsal horn neurons in sham control and nerve-injured rats. However, bath application of the cGMP analog 8-bromo-cGMP had no significant effects on spinal NMDA receptor currents. Inhibition of soluble guanylyl cyclase also did not alter the inhibitory effect of l-arginine on spinal NMDA receptor activity. Furthermore, knockdown of nNOS with siRNA abolished the inhibitory effects of l-arginine, but not SNAP, on spinal NMDA receptor activity in both groups of rats. Additionally, intrathecal injection of l-arginine significantly attenuated mechanical or thermal hyperalgesia induced by nerve injury, and the l-arginine effect was diminished in rats treated with a nNOS inhibitor or nNOS-specific siRNA. These findings suggest that endogenous NO inhibits spinal NMDA receptor activity through S-nitrosylation. NO derived from nNOS attenuates spinal nociceptive transmission and neuropathic pain induced by nerve injury.

Solid-State 15N and 17O NMR Studies of S-Nitrosothiols.

We report a solid-state 15N and 17O NMR study of two representative S-nitrosothiols (RSNO): S-nitroso N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) and S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO). The 15N and 17O NMR tensors are experimentally determined for the first time for this important class of nitric-oxide (NO)-related compounds. The observed NMR characteristics for RSNO include large 15N and 17O chemical shift anisotropies and large 17O quadrupole coupling constants. Quantum chemical calculations are also performed for the 15N and 17O NMR tensors in two simple RSNO models: t-BuSNO and MeSNO. On the basis of computational results, we have identified the molecular orbitals that are responsible for the observed large chemical shift anisotropies in RSNO compounds.

Tunable Nitric Oxide Release from S-Nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine via Catalytic Copper Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications.

The quest for novel therapies to prevent bacterial infections and blood clots (thrombosis) is of utmost importance in biomedical research due to the exponential growth in the cases of thrombosis and blood infections and the emergence of multi-drug-resistant strains of bacteria. Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) is a cellular signaling molecule that plays a pivotal role in host immunity against pathogens, prevention of clotting, and regulation of systemic blood pressure, among several other biological functions. The physiological effect of NO is dose dependent, which necessitates the study of its tunable release kinetics, which is the objective of this study. In the present study, polymer composites were fabricated by incorporating S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) in a medical-grade polymer, Carbosil, and top-coated with varying concentrations of catalytic copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs). The addition of the Cu-NPs increased the NO release, as well as the overall antimicrobial activity via the oligodynamic effect of Cu. SNAP (10 wt %) composites without Cu-NP coatings showed a NO flux of 1.32 ± 0.6 × 10-10 mol min-1 cm-2, whereas Cu-NP-incorporated SNAP films exhibited fluxes of 4.48 ± 0.5 × 10-10, 4.84 ± 0.3 × 10-10, and 11.7 ± 3.6 × 10-10 mol min-1 cm-2 with 1, 3, and 5 wt % Cu-NPs, respectively. This resulted in a significant reduction (up to 99.8%) in both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with very low platelet adhesion (up to 92% lower) as compared to that of the corresponding controls. Copper leachates from the SNAP films were detected using the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry technique and were found to be significantly lower in concentration than the recommended safety limit by the FDA. The cell viability test performed on mouse fibroblast 3T3 cells provided supportive evidence for the biocompatibility of the material in vitro.

Study of Crystal Formation and Nitric Oxide (NO) Release Mechanism from S-Nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP)-Doped CarboSil Polymer Composites for Potential Antimicrobial Applications.

Stable and long-term nitric oxide (NO) releasing polymeric materials have many potential biomedical applications. Herein, we report the real-time observation of the crystallization process of the NO donor, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), within a thermoplastic silicone-polycarbonate-urethane biomedical polymer, CarboSil 20 80A. It is demonstrated that the NO release rate from this composite material is directly correlated with the surface area that the CarboSil polymer film is exposed to when in contact with aqueous solution. The decomposition of SNAP in solution (e.g. PBS, ethanol, THF, etc.) is a pseudo-first-order reaction proportional to the SNAP concentration. Further, catheters fabricated with this novel NO releasing composite material are shown to exhibit significant effects on preventing biofilm formation on catheter surface by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis grown in CDC bioreactor over 14 days, with a 2 and 3 log-unit reduction in number of live bacteria on their surfaces, respectively. Therefore, the SNAP-CarboSil composite is a promising new material to develop antimicrobial catheters, as well as other biomedical devices.

Reduction of Thrombosis and Bacterial Infection via Controlled Nitric Oxide (NO) Release from S-Nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) Impregnated CarboSil Intravascular Catheters.

Nitric oxide (NO) has many important physiological functions, including its ability to inhibit platelet activation and serve as potent antimicrobial agent. The multiple roles of NO in vivo have led to great interest in the development of biomaterials that can deliver NO for specific biomedical applications. Herein, we report a simple solvent impregnation technique to incorporate a nontoxic NO donor, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), into a more biocompatible biomedical grade polymer, CarboSil 20 80A. The resulting polymer-crystal composite material yields a very stable, long-term NO release biomaterial. The SNAP impregnation process is carefully characterized and optimized, and it is shown that SNAP crystal formation occurs in the bulk of the polymer after solvent evaporation. LC-MS results demonstrate that more than 70% of NO release from this new composite material originates from the SNAP embedded CarboSil phase, and not from the SNAP species leaching out into the soaking solution. Catheters prepared with CarboSil and then impregnated with 15 wt % SNAP provide a controlled NO release over a 14 d period at physiologically relevant fluxes and are shown to significantly reduce long-term (14 day) bacterial biofilm formation against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudonomas aeruginosa in a CDC bioreactor model. After 7 h of catheter implantation in the jugular veins of rabbit, the SNAP CarboSil catheters exhibit a 96% reduction in thrombus area (0.03 ± 0.01 cm2/catheter) compared to the controls (0.84 ± 0.19 cm2/catheter) (n = 3). These results suggest that SNAP impregnated CarboSil can become an attractive new biomaterial for use in preparing intravascular catheters and other implanted medical devices.