title: Immunochemical detection of inducible NO synthase in human lung.
abstract: Type II (inducible) nitric oxide synthase (NOS) may play an important role in pulmonary pathophysiology, yet it remains controversial whether human tissues are capable of expressing this protein. Therefore, a polyclonal antibody (8196) was raised against type II NOS from induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and used to investigate the expression of this enzyme in human lung tissue. Anti-type II NOS antibody did not cross-react with either neuronal (type I) or endothelial (type III) constitutive NOS, whereas a 130-kDa protein was detected in cytosol from induced macrophages or liver removed from lipopolysaccharide (25 mg/kg)-treated rats. Cells or tissues that lacked NOS activity did not express immunoreactive proteins. Similarly, in grossly normal human lung tissue, no immunoreactivity was detected with the anti-type II NOS antibody. In contrast, strong immunoreactivity was detected in alveolar macrophages present in lung tissue from a patient with bronchiectasis and acute bronchopneumonia. These data demonstrate that human alveolar macrophages are able to express type II NOS and support a role for this enzyme in pulmonary inflammatory pathophysiology.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois 60064-3500.
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Tracey
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Klinghofer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barlow
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Pollock
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Förstermann
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Johns
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001996:Bronchopneumonia / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002417:Cattle; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology*; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000201:enzymology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D051381:Rats; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases