title: Gamma-irradiation potentiates L-arginine-dependent nitric oxide formation in mice.
abstract: Gamma-irradiation of mongrel mice at a sublethal dose (700 Roentgen) enhanced the formation of nitric oxide (NO) in the liver, intestine, lung, kidney, brain, spleen or heart of the animals. NO formation was determined by the increase in intensity of the EPR signal due to trapping of NO into mononitrosyl iron complexes (MNIC) with exogenous diethyldithiocarbamate (DETC) injected intraperitoneally. The EPR signal of these MNIC-DETC complexes was characterized by g-factor values at g perpendicular values at g perpendicular = 2.035 and g parallel = 2.02 and a triplet hyperfine structure at g perpendicular. The NO synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine, prevented MNIC-DETC complex formation both in liver and intestine, demonstrating the involvement of endogenous NO formed. Thus, gamma-irradiation may enhance endogenous NO biosynthesis in these tissues, presumably by facilitating the entry of Ca2+ ions into the membrane as well as the cytosol of NO-producing cells through irradiation-induced membrane lesions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Voevodskaya
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Vanin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004050:Ditiocarb / Q000494:pharmacology; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects*; D007501:Iron / Q000494:pharmacology; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019335:Nitroarginine; D009928:Organ Specificity; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D004050:Ditiocarb; D007501:Iron