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The role of nitric oxide in endothelial cell damage and its inhibition by glucocorticoids
Author(s) -
Palmer R.M.J.,
Bridge L.,
Foxwell N.A.,
Moncada S.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1992.tb14202.x
Subject(s) - cytotoxic t cell , nitric oxide , nitric oxide synthase , omega n methylarginine , dexamethasone , incubation , chemistry , arginine , endothelial stem cell , viability assay , endocrinology , medicine , pharmacology , biology , cell , biochemistry , in vitro , amino acid
Incubation of vascular endothelial cells with S.typhosa endotoxin and interferon‐γ caused a time‐ and concentration‐dependent reduction in the viability of the cells. This cytotoxic effect was inhibited in a concentration‐dependent manner by N G ‐monomethyl‐ l ‐arginine, an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, and by the glucocorticoids dexamethasone and hydrocortisone, two inhibitors of the induction of NO synthase. These findings indicate that in these cells the cytotoxic effect of endotoxin is mediated by the NO synthesized by an inducible NO synthase. This induction of NO synthase in vascular endothelial cells may represent a mechanism of local endothelial damage during endotoxin shock and other immunologically based conditions.