title: Arginine-derived nitric oxide reduces fecal oocyst shedding in nude mice infected with Cryptosporidium parvum.
abstract: Dietary L-arginine (4%) significantly reduced fecal oocyst shedding in athymic nude mice chronically infected with Cryptosporidium parvum. This effect appeared to be due to an increase in host nitric oxide (NO) production as it was not observed in arginine-supplemented animals administered the NO synthase inhibitor, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. N-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester alone significantly increased fecal oocyst shedding in chronically infected animals. In in vitro assays, oocyst excystation and sporozoite viability were significantly reduced by the NO donors sodium nitroprusside and S-nitroso-L-acetyl penicillamine in a concentration-dependent manner. These data suggest that arginine-derived NO may reduce the parasite load in experimental cryptosporidiosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30310-1495.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Leitch
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000276:immunology*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D010270:Parasite Egg Count
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester