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Role of sex and eNOS in cystathionine‐γ‐lyase expression in mouse heart, brain and skeletal muscle
Author(s) -
Chaudhari Kritika,
Wisniewski Nicole H,
Bearden Shawn E
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a448-b
Subject(s) - enos , nitric oxide , oxidative stress , medicine , endocrinology , cystathionine beta synthase , nitric oxide synthase , western blot , cystathionine gamma lyase , endogeny , skeletal muscle , vascular smooth muscle , biology , chemistry , biochemistry , enzyme , smooth muscle , cysteine , gene
Sex differences in oxidative stress pathways are not fully understood, though it is generally agreed that females possess greater endogenous defenses than males. Production of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), in vascular smooth muscle cells by cystathionine‐γ‐lyase (CSE), increases during oxidative stress. Nitric oxide (NO), which plays an important role in protection against oxidative stress, is produced in the vascular wall by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). We tested the hypotheses that CSE protein expression would be greater in 1) female v male and 2) eNOS−/− v wild type (WT) mice. Homogenates from gracilis muscle, brain and heart from WT and eNOS−/− mice (n=3/group; 8–9 mo) were run on Western blot and labeled for CSE protein, followed by chemiluminescent detection. For all tissues, the optical density of CSE‐positive bands was greater in WT females v WT males and in pooled data for females v males (p<0.05). CSE expression was greater in eNOS−/− v WT for heart and gracilis muscle from both females and males (p<0.05). These studies document an enhanced capacity for H 2 S generation in heart and muscle when endothelial nitric oxide production is impaired and uniquely demonstrate a novel mechanism by which females may better defend against oxidative stress when compared to males.