title: Nitric oxide increases cellular glutathione levels in rat lung fibroblasts.
abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) has been demonstrated to play a protective role in cell injury. In this study, we have explored the effect of NO and two NO donors (sodium nitroprusside [SNP] and isosorbide dinitrate [ISDN]) on cellular glutathione (GSH) levels in a rat lung fibroblast cell line (RFL6 cells). SNP and ISDN significantly increased cellular GSH in RFL6 cells (5 x 10(-4) M SNP: 21.9 +/- 3.6 nmol/10(6) cells and 5 x 10(-3) M ISDN: 27.6 +/- 1.7 nmol/10(6) cells versus control: 13.2 +/- 0.4 nmol/10(6) cells; P < 0.05). The stimulatory effect of SNP and ISDN on GSH was first seen at 6 h and peaked at 12 to 24 h. A similar increase in GSH was observed in RFL6 cells exposed to 400 ppm NO for 7.5 h (NO: 20.5 +/- 3.4 nmol/10(6) cells versus control: 11.9 +/- 2.4; P < 0.05). SNP and ISDN also increased cellular GSH in bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (BPSMC) and bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAEC). Buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) (0.01 mM), an inhibitor of the GSH synthetic enzyme gamma-glutamyl cysteine synthetase, blocked the increase in GSH in RFL6 cells seen with both SNP and ISDN. In BPAEC, exposure to NO donors for 24 h stimulated glutamate uptake (SNP: 441 +/- 19 pmol/10 min/10(6) cells and ISDN: 677 +/- 48 pmol/10 min/10(6) min/10(6) cells versus control: 222 +/- 9 pmol/10 min/10(6); P < 0.05). This effect paralleled the increase in GSH. In RFL6 cells, only SNP increased glutamate uptake after 24 h of incubation. In summary, NO and NO donors increase cellular GSH in RFL6 cells, BPAEC, and BPSMC. The mechanism of this effect is unclear but may involve upregulation of the normal GSH synthetic pathways. This observation may explain in part the protective effect of NO seen in some cell culture systems and may contribute to a protective effect against oxidant injury in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, New England Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Maloney
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Boustani
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Hassoun
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Fanburg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D019328:Buthionine Sulfoximine; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005721:Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D007548:Isosorbide Dinitrate / Q000494:pharmacology; D008168:Lung; D008717:Methionine Sulfoximine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D051381:Rats; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009599:Nitroprusside; D008717:Methionine Sulfoximine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D019328:Buthionine Sulfoximine; D001120:Arginine; D005721:Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase; D005978:Glutathione; D007548:Isosorbide Dinitrate