SNP-treated Cells Research Articles

Elicitation of flavonoid biosynthesis in cell suspension cultures of Haplophyllum virgatum by sodium nitroprusside

Plant cell suspension culture, along with elicitor application, is a suitable technique to obtain large amounts of bioactive compounds. Haplophyllum virgatum is an Iranian endemic plant species. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is widely used as a nitric oxide (NO) donor in studies on plants to investigate the physiological roles of NO. Here, the physiological responses were investigated in cell suspension cultures of H. virgatum in the presence of different concentrations of SNP (0, 100, 150, and 200 µM) at various time points (0, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 168 h). The transcript levels of two flavonoid biosynthetic enzymes, including chalcone synthase (CHS) and chalcone isomerase (CHI), and an important transcription factor (R2R3-MYB), were measured in the SNP-treated cells. The content of rutin (the main flavonoid in the Rutaceae family) was also evaluated. Nitric oxide significantly decreased the hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde contents by increasing the proline and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in the treated cells. Meanwhile, NO significantly elicited flavonoid production, including rutin. These results highlight the effects of NO on flavonoid biosynthesis in H. virgatum suspension cells, probably through gene expression regulation in and upstream of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway.

Centaurium erythraea extract reduces redox imbalance and improves insulin expression and secretion in pancreatic β-cells exposed to oxidative and nitrosative stress

Oxidative stress is one of the major mechanisms that underlies the damage of pancreatic ?-cells and defects in insulin secretion in diabetes. As herbal preparations can alleviate oxidative stress through their redox-active secondary metabolites, in this study we investigated the cytoprotective effects of Centaurium erythraea extract (CEe) against H2O2- and SNP-induced oxidative/nitrosative stress in Rin-5F ?-cells. The antioxidant activity of CEe and its effect on cell survival and insulin expression/secretion were evaluated. The CEe increased cell viability and ameliorated the disturbance of redox homeostasis in H2O2- and SNP-treated cells by decreasing DNA damage, lipid peroxidation and protein S-glutathionylation. The CEe restored GSH homeostasis in H2O2-treated ?-cells and attenuated the SNP-induced disturbance of the GSH/ GSSG ratio. The H2O2- and SNP-induced disruption of CAT, GPx, GR, MnSOD and CuZnSOD activities was adjusted by the CEe towards control values, as well as mRNA and protein levels of GPx, MnSOD and CAT. The CEe increased insulin expression/secretion particularly in H2O2-treated ?-cells, which was in accordance with the more pronounced antioxidant effect of the CEe observed in H2O2-treated ?-cells as compared to SNP-treated cells. These findings support the beneficial effect of the CEe in preventing or slowing down ?-cell damage and dysfunction caused by oxidative/nitrosative stress during diabetes development.

Simvastatin prevents articular chondrocyte dedifferentiation induced by nitric oxide by inhibiting the expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 13.

Dedifferentiation of chondrocytes is the main character of cartilage degradation. Therefore the understanding of chondrocytes dedifferentiation is essential for arthritis therapy. However, the molecular mechanism of cartilage destroy is mostly unknown. In this work we show that simvastatin (SVT) inhibits dedifferentiation by nitric oxide by blocking the expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 13. These effects of SVT on dedifferentiation suggest that SVT may be used as a drug for the cure of arthritis.

Genome-scale transcriptome analysis in response to nitric oxide in birch cells: implications of the triterpene biosynthetic pathway.

Evidence supporting nitric oxide (NO) as a mediator of plant biochemistry continues to grow, but its functions at the molecular level remains poorly understood and, in some cases, controversial. To study the role of NO at the transcriptional level in Betula platyphylla cells, we conducted a genome-scale transcriptome analysis of these cells. The transcriptome of untreated birch cells and those treated by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were analyzed using the Solexa sequencing. Data were collected by sequencing cDNA libraries of birch cells, which had a long period to adapt to the suspension culture conditions before SNP-treated cells and untreated cells were sampled. Among the 34,100 UniGenes detected, BLASTX search revealed that 20,631 genes showed significant (E-values≤10−5) sequence similarity with proteins from the NR-database. Numerous expressed sequence tags (i.e., 1374) were identified as differentially expressed between the 12 h SNP-treated cells and control cells samples: 403 up-regulated and 971 down-regulated. From this, we specifically examined a core set of NO-related transcripts. The altered expression levels of several transcripts, as determined by transcriptome analysis, was confirmed by qRT-PCR. The results of transcriptome analysis, gene expression quantification, the content of triterpenoid and activities of defensive enzymes elucidated NO has a significant effect on many processes including triterpenoid production, carbohydrate metabolism and cell wall biosynthesis.

Highly Potential Antifungal Activity of Quantum-Sized Silver Nanoparticles Against Candida albicans

The antifungal activity of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-stabilized quantum-sized silver nanoparticles (SNPs) against the growth of Candida albicans has been demonstrated in the present study. C. albicans is a known opportunistic human pathogen causing superficial and systemic infections. Research data carried out on C. albicans so far have shown unequivocally that it develops resistance against conventional antifungal drugs and that the infections it causes are difficult to cure with conventional antifungal agents. Hence, it is urgent to find newer materials for the treatment of infections caused by C. albicans that must be safe for the host. PVP-capped SNPs were synthesized, and its surface plasmon band was observed at 410nm. The growth of C. albicans was markedly inhibited when the cells were incubated with SNP. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of SNP was determined as 70ng/ml, and this value is relatively lower when compared with the conventionally used antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B (0.5μg/ml), fluconazole (0.5μg/ml), and ketoconazole (8μg/ml). The viability of SNP-treated cells was checked by measuring the metabolic activity using XTT assay. Field emission scanning electron microscopic (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analyses of the cells treated with SNP have lost the structural integrity to a greater extent.

Nitric Oxide Regulation of Na, K‐ATPase Activity in Ocular Ciliary Epithelium Involves Src Family Kinase

The nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is known to reduce aqueous humor (AH) secretion in the isolated porcine eye. Previously, SNP was found to inhibit Na,K-ATPase activity in nonpigmented ciliary epithelium (NPE), AH-secreting cells, through a cGMP/protein kinase G (PKG)-mediated pathway. Here we show Src family kinase (SFK) activation in the Na,K-ATPase activity response to SNP. Ouabain-sensitive (86) Rb uptake was reduced by >35% in cultured NPE cells exposed to SNP (100 µM) or exogenously added cGMP (8-Br-cGMP) (100 µM) and the SFK inhibitor PP2 (10 µM) prevented the response. Ouabain-sensitive ATP hydrolysis was reduced by ~40% in samples detected in material obtained from SNP- and 8-Br-cGMP-treated cells following homogenization, pointing to an intrinsic change of Na,K-ATPase activity. Tyrosine-10 phosphorylation of Na,K-ATPase α1 subunit was detected in SNP and L-arginine-treated cells and the response prevented by PP2. SNP elicited an increase in cell cGMP. Cells exposed to 8-Br-cGMP displayed SFK activation (phosphorylation) and inhibition of both ouabain-sensitive (86) Rb uptake and Na,K-ATPase activity that was prevented by PP2. SFK activation, which also occurred in SNP-treated cells, was suppressed by inhibitors of soluble guanylate cyclase (ODQ; 10 µM) and PKG (KT5823; 1 µM). SNP and 8-Br-cGMP also increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK and the response prevented by PP2. However, U0126 did not prevent SNP or 8-Br-cGMP-induced inhibition of Na,K-ATPase activity. Taken together, the results suggest that NO activates guanylate cyclase to cause a rise in cGMP and subsequent PKG-dependent SFK activation. Inhibition of Na,K-ATPase activity depends on SFK activation.

Involvement of Hsp70, a stress protein, in the resistance of long-term culture of PC12 cells against sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced cell death

Sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-treated PC12 cell line is being used in our laboratory as a cell model of nitric oxide (NO)-mediated damage for in vitro evaluation of potential neuroprotective compounds, thus cell response to SNP must be standardized to gain reproducible data. The NO-donor SNP has been shown to induce cell death at high concentrations in undifferentiated PC12 cells. Differences were found in sensitivity to SNP between cells from short- and long-term cultured cells. After 24-h exposure to 100-500 microM SNP, a decrease of cell viability was observed in both short- (17, 21 and 23rd passages) and long-term cultures (46, 49 and 50th passages), with IC(50) values of 312.72 and 462.90 microM, respectively. In cells from early passages, SNP-induced cell death was accompanied by significant increases of LDH leakage, nitrite production, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, catalase (CAT) activity, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) and caspase-3 activation in comparison with those from late passages. Furthermore, untreated and SNP-treated cells from long-term cultures displayed an increase of the stress protein Hsp70 levels when compared with those from short-term cultures. Up-regulated levels of Hsp70 may be associated with cell survival. Therefore, cells may acquire a certain resistance to SNP-induced toxicity associated with an increase in cell passage-dependent Hsp70. The protein Hsp70 might modulate the cellular response to the toxic insult by increasing CAT and GSH-Px activities and decreasing caspase-3 activation. Finally, it is crucial for the standardization of this cell model of neurotoxicity, at least in part, the use of PC12 cells in an optimum and reliable range of passages.

Sodium nitroprusside induces autophagic cell death in glutathione‐depleted osteoblasts

Previous studies reported that high levels of nitric oxide (NO) induce apoptotic cell death in osteoblasts. We examined molecular mechanisms of cytotoxic injury induced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, in both glutathione (GSH)-depleted and control U2-OS osteoblasts. Cell viability was reduced by much lower effective concentrations of SNP in GSH-depleted cells compared to normal cells. The data suggest that the level of intracellular GSH is critical in SNP-induced cell death processes of osteoblasts. The level of oxidative stress due to SNP treatments doubled in GSH-depleted cells when measured with fluorochrome H2DCFDA. Pretreatment with the NO scavenger PTIO preserved the viability of cells treated with SNP. Viability of cells treated with SNP was recovered by pretreatment with Wortmannin, an autophagy inhibitor, but not by pretreatment with zVAD-fmk, a pan-specific caspase inhibitor. Large increases of LC3-II were shown by immunoblot analysis of the SNP-treated cells, and the increase was blocked by pretreatment with PTIO or Wortmannin; this implies that under GSH-depleted conditions SNP induces different molecular signaling that lead to autophagic cell death. The ultrastructural morphology of SNP-treated cells in transmission electron microscopy showed numerous autophagic vacuoles. These data suggest NO produces oxidative stress and cellular damage that culminate in autophagic cell death of GSH-depleted osteoblasts.

Sodium nitroprusside induces autophagic cell death in glutathione-depleted osteoblasts

Previous studies reported that high levels of nitric oxide (NO) induce apoptotic cell death in osteoblasts. We examined molecular mechanisms of cytotoxic injury induced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, in both glutathione (GSH)-depleted and control U2-OS osteoblasts. Cell viability was reduced by much lower effective concentrations of SNP in GSH-depleted cells compared to normal cells. The data suggest that the level of intracellular GSH is critical in SNP-induced cell death processes of osteoblasts. The level of oxidative stress due to SNP treatments doubled in GSH-depleted cells when measured with fluorochrome H2DCFDA. Pretreatment with the NO scavenger PTIO preserved the viability of cells treated with SNP. Viability of cells treated with SNP was recovered by pretreatment with Wortmannin, an autophagy inhibitor, but not by pretreatment with zVAD-fmk, a pan-specific caspase inhibitor. Large increases of LC3-II were shown by immunoblot analysis of the SNP-treated cells, and the increase was blocked by pretreatment with PTIO or Wortmannin; this implies that under GSH-depleted conditions SNP induces different molecular signalings that lead to autophagic cell death. The ultrastructural morphology of SNP-treated cells in transmission electron microscopy showed numerous autophagic vacuoles. These data suggest NO produces oxidative stress and cellular damage that culminate in autophagic cell death of GSH-depleted osteoblasts.

Inhibition of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis by 635-nm irradiation in sodium nitroprusside-treated SH-SY5Y cells

Nitric oxide (NO) is a major factor contributing to the loss of neurons in ischemic stroke, demyelinating diseases, and other neurodegenerative disorders. NO not only functions as a direct neurotoxin, but also combines with superoxide (O 2 − ) by a diffusion-controlled reaction to form peroxynitrite (ONOO − ), a species that contributes to oxidative signaling and cellular apoptosis. However, the mechanism by which ONOO − induces apoptosis remains unclear, although subsequent formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been suggested. The aim of this study was to further investigate the triggers of the apoptotic pathway using O 2 − scavenging with light irradiation to block ONOO − production. Antiapoptotic effects of light irradiation in sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-treated SH-SY5Y cells were assayed by reduction of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, DNA fragmentation, flow cytometry, Western blot, and caspase activity assays. In addition, NO, total ROS, O 2 − , and ONOO − levels were measured to observe changes in NO and its possible involvement in radical induction. Cell survival was reduced to approximately 40% of control levels by SNP treatment, and this reduction was increased to 60% by low-level light irradiation. Apoptotic cells were observed in the SNP-treated group, but the frequency of these was reduced in the irradiation group. NO, O 2 − , total ROS, and ONOO − levels were increased after SNP treatment, but O 2 − , total ROS, and ONOO − levels were decreased after irradiation, despite the high NO concentration induced by SNP treatment. Cytochrome c was released from mitochondria of SNP-treated SH-SY5Y cells, but not of irradiated cells, resulting in a decrease in caspase-3 and -9 activity in SNP-treated cells. Finally, these results show that 635-nm irradiation, by promoting the scavenging of O 2 − , protected against neuronal death through blocking the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway induced by ONOO − synthesis.

Nitric oxide suppresses growth and development in the unicellular green alga Micrasterias denticulata

Nitric oxide (NO), a key molecule in inter- and intracellular signalling, is implicated in developmental processes, host defense, and apoptosis in higher plants. We investigated the effect of NO on development in the unicellular green alga, Micrasterias denticulata, using two different NO donors, S-nitroso-N-acetyl-dl-penicillamine (SNAP) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Investigations at the light microsopic level revealed that both NO donors suppressed cell growth. Ultrastructural analyses were performed with SNAP- as well as SNP-treated cells and, additionally, with the control compound N-acetyl-d-penicillamine (NAP). Cells incubated with NO donors lacked a secondary wall and dictyosomal function was impaired, whereas NAP-treated cells showed no difference in development and organelle structure compared to control cells. Moreover, cisternae of the Golgi stacks were slightly involute and no vesicles were pinched off after SNAP and SNP incubation. The NO scavenger cPTIO (2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide, potassium salt) abrogated the effect of SNP, thus confirming that inhibition of cell growth is due to nitric oxide. Addition of iodoacetic acid, an inhibitor of cysteine-containing enzymes, like glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), evoked similar effects on cell growth and secondary wall formation as obtained by treatment with NO donors. Therefore, we hypothesize that NO inhibits activity of enzymes involved in the secretory pathway, such as GAPDH, via S-nitrosylation of the cysteine residue and, consequently, modulates cell growth in M. denticulata.

Effects of Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress on Tetrahymena pyriformis Glyceraldehyde‐3‐Phosphate Dehydrogenase

Previous reports showed that hydrogen peroxide and the NO-generating reagent sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-modulated enzymatic activity of animal glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, EC 1.2.1.12). These modifications are suggested to have a physiological regulatory role. To gain further insight into this regulatory process the model ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis was chosen. Both reagents inhibited growth of T. pyriformis cultures and produced a specific increase of GAPDH protein but only NO seemed to reduce GAPDH activity in cell-free extracts. Both specific activity and pI were found to be altered in the in vivo NO-treated purified enzyme, but no effect was detected by the in vivo H(2)O(2) treatment. Analytical chromatofocusing showed a single basic isoform (pI 8.8) in enzyme preparations from control and H(2)O(2)-treated cells. In contrast to this, three more acidic isoforms (pIs, 8.6, 8.0 and 7.3) were resolved in purified fractions from SNP-treated cells, suggesting post-translational modification of the enzyme by NO. Nevertheless, a decrease of GAPDH activity by H(2)O(2) and NO, mainly due to a decrease in its V(max) without apparent change in substrate affinity, was observed in vitro in the whole enzyme population. The increase of GAPDH protein level found in vivo suggests a cell response in order to compensate for the inhibitory effect on activity observed in the purified enzyme. This is the first report of NO- and H(2)O(2)-dependent effects on GAPDH of T. pyriformis, and identifies this key protein of central carbon metabolism as a physiological target of oxidative and nitrosative stress in this ciliated protozoan.

Epigallocatechin gallate inhibits nitric oxide-induced apoptosis in rat PC12 cells

Nitric oxide (NO) is associated with many pathophysiology of the central nervous system including brain ischemia, neurodegeneration and inflammation. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a major compound of green tea polyphenol that has shown the protective activity against neuronal diseases. This study examined the effect of EGCG on NO-induced cell death in PC12 cells. The administration of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, decreased the cell viability and induced apoptosis showing characterization such as cell shrinkage and chromatin condensation as well as subG1 fraction of cell cycles. EGCG inhibited the cytotoxicity and apoptotic morphogenic changes induced by SNP. EGCG attenuated the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by SNP, and ameliorated the SNP-induced Bax to Bcl-2 expression ratio leading to apoptosis. In addition, EGCG prevented the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol as well as the upregulation of the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), a cytochrome c releasing channel, in the mitochondria of SNP-treated cells. EGCG abrogated the activation of caspase-9, caspase-8 and caspase-3 induced by SNP. These results demonstrate that EGCG has a protective effect against SNP-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells by scavenging ROS and modulating the signal molecules associated with cytochrome c, caspases, VDAC and the Bcl-2 family. These findings suggest that EGCG might be a natural neuroprotective substance.

Regulation of p53 by Activated Protein Kinase C-δ during Nitric Oxide-induced Dopaminergic Cell Death

Selective cell death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra is the major cause of Parkinson disease. Current evidence suggests that this cell death could be mediated by nitric oxide by-products such as nitrate and peroxynitrite. Because protein kinase C (PKC)-delta is implicated in apoptosis of various cell types, we studied its roles and activation mechanisms in nitric oxide (NO)-induced apoptosis of SN4741 dopaminergic cells. When cells were treated with sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, endogenous PKC-delta was nitrated and activated. Immunoprecipitation revealed that p53 co-immunoprecipitated with PKC-delta and was phosphorylated at the 15th serine residue in SNP-treated cells. An in vitro kinase assay revealed that p53 was directly phosphorylated by SNP-activated PKC-delta. The p53 Ser-15 phosphorylation was suppressed in SNP-treated cells when the NO-mediated activation of PKC-delta was inhibited by rottlerin or (-)-epigallocatechin gallate. Within 3 h of p53 phosphorylation, its protein levels increased because of decreased ubiquitin-dependent proteosomal proteolysis, whereas the protein levels of MDM2, ubiquitin-protein isopeptide ligase, were down-regulated in a p53 phosphorylation-dependent fashion. Taken together, these results demonstrate that nitration-mediated activation of PKC-delta induces the phosphorylation of the Ser-15 residue in p53, which increases its protein stability, thereby contributing to the nitric oxide-mediated apoptosis-like cell death pathway. These findings may be expanded to provide new insight into the cellular mechanisms of Parkinson disease.

Effect of Nitric Oxide on γ-Ray-Induced Micronucleus Frequency in RAW264.7 Cells

The effect of low-dose nitric oxide (NO) on gamma-ray-induced micronucleus (MN) frequency was investigated in RAW264.7 cells. Treatment of RAW264.7 cells with 0.25 mM sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a chemical NO donor, reduced the frequency of micronuclei induced by 5 Gy gamma rays by 43 to 45% between 3 and 12 h post-treatment. This effect was blocked by carboxy-PTIO, suggesting that NO may play a role in the reduction of radiation-induced MN frequency. To examine possible mechanisms underlying this effect, we first looked at changes in the antioxidant system after SNP treatment. A significant increase in intracellular glutathione (GSH) was seen in SNP-treated cells between 3 and 12 h post-treatment. Depletion of GSH with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) increased the gamma-ray-induced increase in MN frequency. Detailed studies using various inducers of intracellular GSH suggested that GSH induction has a partial role in the reducing effect of NO on the gamma-ray-induced MN frequency. Next, the effect of NO on DNA repair and replication systems was examined. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), dose-dependently inhibited the reducing effect of NO, while caffeine, an inhibitor of ATM kinase and ATR kinase, did not. DNA-PK activity was increased by NO treatment. Etoposide, a topoisomerase II inhibitor, dose-dependently blocked the effect of NO in reducing the gamma-ray-induced MN frequency. These results suggest that the mechanisms of the effect of NO on the gamma-ray-induced MN frequency include elevation of GSH and up-regulation of DNA-PK activity for repairing double-strand breaks. NO may act as a signal for repair systems, e.g. for nonhomologous recombination and for the replication system in S phase, to reduce the MN frequency.

Involvement of Mitochondrial Peroxynitrite in Nitric Oxide-Induced Glutathione Synthesis

Cells respond to oxidative stress including nitric oxide (NO) by increasing cellular glutathione concentration, as a part of adaptive response against oxidative injury. To elucidate the mechanism by which NO induces glutathione we investigated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in the cell. Treatment of RAW264.7 cells with NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), resulted in a temporary increase in glutathione in a dose-dependent manner, which peaked between 6 h and 12 h after treatment, whereas expression of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) mRNA peaked around 3 h after treatment. The increase was inhibited by NO scavengers, oxyhemoglobin and carboxyl-2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO). N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) also reduced the increase in glutathione to some extent, whereas both peroxynitrite scavenger ebselen and hydroxyl radical scavenger DMSO inhibited the increase in glutathione in a dose-dependent manner and complete inhibition was observed. Hydrogen peroxide exogenously added to the cell did not increase either glutathione or gamma-GCS expression at any concentration, indicating that involvement of hydrogen peroxide is not likely. Flow cytometric analysis showed that SNP induced a marked dose-dependent increase in Rhodamine123 fluorescence, which was completely inhibited by ebselen in a dose-dependent manner, whereas, little increase in 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin (DCF) fluorescence was observed. Generation of peroxynitrite in mitochondria by SNP was confirmed by elevated level of nitrotyrosine in a mitochondria fraction isolated from SNP-treated cells, and the elevation was completely inhibited by ebselen as well. These results suggest that induction of glutathione (GSH) synthesis by SNP treatment is mediated by peroxynitrite generated in mitochondria.

Regulation of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase regulatory subunit ( GLCLR) gene expression: identification of the major transcriptional start site in HT29 cells

γ-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS) is of major importance in glutathione homeostasis. The GCS heterodimer is composed of catalytic (heavy subunit, GCS h) and regulatory (light subunit, GCS l) subunits. Regulation of the human GCS l subunit gene ( GLCLR) expression was studied as GCS l has a critical role in glutathione synthesis. The minimal basal expression of GLCLR was found to be mediated by a region between nt −205 and −318. The major transcriptional start site in HT29 cells was located within this region at nt −283. A region between nt −411 and −447 was identified as having a potential involvement in the negative regulation of GLCLR expression. In order to study the transcriptional regulation of GCS l by oxidant stress, HepG2 cells were treated with sodium nitroprusside (SNP). SNP (1.5 mM) was found to increase glutathione levels by 2-fold, as well as GCS activity by 6-fold. This is accompanied by a co-ordinate increase in the levels of the both the GCS l and GCS h subunits, each by approximately 2-fold. The transcriptional activity of the GLCLR gene was increased by approximately 2.5-fold in SNP-treated cells.

Nitric oxide induces heme oxygenase-1 gene expression in mesangial cells

Nitric oxide (NO) release as a result of activation of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) can be sustained and reach cytotoxic concentrations. It is unknown whether cells possess intrinsic systems to attenuate NO-mediated cytotoxicity. One potential system is the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) enzyme because it catabolizes heme and therefore may limit synthesis or availability of iNOS. These studies were undertaken to explore whether NO derived from NO donors or from activation of iNOS induces HO-1 in mesangial cells. The expression of the HO-1 gene was evaluated at the mRNA (Northern blot analysis) and protein (Western blot analysis) levels in mesangial cells treated with two NO donors, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP), or was stimulated by the combination of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) to induce iNOS in the presence and absence of NOS inhibitor NG-Monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). HO-1 was constitutively expressed in mesangial cells. Both SNP and SNAP induced HO-1 mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. The increase in mRNA was associated with an increase in HO-1 protein in SNP-treated cells. The combination of the LPS/IFN-gamma mixture induced iNOS expression and NO production in murine mesangial cells, as assessed by Western blot analysis and measurement of nitrite levels. HO-1 expression was also increased in response to LPS/IFN-gamma. L-NMMA dose dependently attenuated HO-1 mRNA and protein levels. In contrast, iNOS expression was dose dependently enhanced. Our studies demonstrate that both exogenously or iNOS-derived NO enhance HO-1 expression in mesangial cells and point to regulatory interactions between the iNOS and HO pathways. HO-1 activation may defend against NO-mediated toxicity.

Characterization of the bactericidal effects of sodium nitroprusside and other pentacyanonitrosyl complexes on the food spoilage bacterium Clostridium sporogenes.

The potent bactericidal activity of sodium nitroprusside (SNP; Na2[Fe(CN)5(NO)]) towards Clostridium sporogenes has been investigated. SNP inhibited cell growth in the concentration range of 10 to 40 microM. Concentrations above 80 microM caused irreversible loss of cell viability and cell lysis. Inhibition of cell growth was similar in complex and in defined media. SNP was found to be unreactive towards individual components of the defined medium, with the exception of cysteine. The chemical characteristics responsible for the potency of SNP were investigated by synthesizing analogs of SNP in which the Fe was replaced by different metals. The inhibitory potency of the pentacyanonitrosyl complexes decreased in the order Fe > Cr > V, which correlates with N-O stretching frequency (vNO). In contrast, the Ru complex which had a vNO comparable to that of Fe was a poor inhibitor. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that SNP was rapidly reduced to the paramagnetic Fe(I) compound [Fe(CN)4(NO)](2-) on contact with cells. Analysis of fractions from SNP-treated cells showed 90% oxidation of thiols in the cell walls compared with those in control cells. The toxicity of SNP involves S-nitrosation and reduction, the lack of toxicity of the Ru analog being consistent with the fact that it has poor reactivity towards thiols. When C. sporogenes cells were exposed to sublethal concentrations of SNP and viewed under the electron microscope, they showed blisters on the surface. These results point to the cell wall surface as a primary point of attack of the nitrosyl complex.

Exogenous nitric oxide (NO) generation or IL-1 beta-induced intracellular NO production stimulates inhibitory auto-ADP-ribosylation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in RINm5F cells.

Nitric oxide (NO) stimulates the auto-ADP-ribosylation of the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) which results in the inhibition of enzyme activity. In the present work we show that addition of exogenous NO or IL-1 beta-induced intracellular NO generation cause GAPDH ADP-ribosylation and inhibition of enzyme activity. Incubation of RINm5F cells with sodium nitroprusside (SNP) for 18 h caused a time- and dose-dependent inhibition of GAPDH activity. Half-maximal inhibition of GAPDH activity was observed with 80 microM of the NO donor, with maximal inhibition after roughly 6 h of incubation. In parallel, SNP induced endogenous ADP-ribosylation of GAPDH measured by a decreased incorporation of [32P]ADP-ribose from [32P]NAD+ in the cytosol of the SNP-treated cells. Stimulation of endogenous NO production by inducing the NO synthase by exposure to the cytokine IL-1 beta results in decreased GAPDH activity. IL-1 beta (10(-9) M) inhibited GAPDH activity about 55%, compared with control values. Production of nitrite and inhibition of GAPDH was reversed by the NO synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, indicating that endogenous generated NO was the effective molecule. Again, GAPDH inhibition was associated with NO-stimulated endogenous ADP-ribosylation of the enzyme. Western blot analysis of GAPDH excluded degradation of GAPDH by NO. NO-stimulated auto-ADP-ribosylation resulted in inhibition of the glycolytic enzyme GAPDH and may be relevant as a cytotoxic effect of NO. In concert with its inhibitory actions on iron-sulfur enzymes like aconitase and electron transport proteins of the respiratory chain NO may mediate autocytotoxic effect in beta-cells.