title: Plasmin potentiates induction of nitric oxide synthesis by interleukin-1 beta in vascular smooth muscle cells.
abstract: Experiments were performed to examine the effect of the major fibrinolytic protease, plasmin, on the production of nitric oxide from interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta)-treated cultured human and rat aortic smooth muscle cells. Incubation of vascular smooth muscle cells with IL-1 beta resulted in significant accumulation of nitrite and nitrate in the culture media. Plasmin, either added exogenously or generated by the reaction of tissue plasminogen activator with plasminogen, potentiated the IL-1 beta-mediated release of nitrite and nitrate from smooth muscle cells in a concentration-dependent manner, without affecting the production of nitrite and nitrate from cells untreated with IL-1 beta. This potentiating effect was abolished when plasmin was incubated with the protease inhibitor, alpha 2-antiplasmin. The perfusates from columns containing IL-1 beta-treated smooth muscle cells relaxed detector blood vessels without endothelium, and the addition of IL-1 beta-treated smooth muscle cells to suspensions of indomethacin-treated platelets inhibited their aggregation. Untreated smooth muscle cells or cells treated with plasmin alone did not have such effects. However, the simultaneous treatment of smooth muscle cells with IL-1 beta and plasmin markedly enhanced both the relaxing activities of the perfusates and the inhibition of platelet aggregation. Treatment of smooth muscle cells with NG-nitro-L-arginine inhibited the cytokine-mediated effects as well as the potentiating effect of plasmin. These results demonstrate that the plasmin can enhance the production of nitric oxide by IL-1 beta-treated vascular smooth muscle cells.
authors.affiliation: Medical Service, Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Texas.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Durante
authors.forename: V B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Schini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Catovsky
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kroll
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Vanhoutte
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Schafer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000494:pharmacology; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D013917:Thrombin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000494:pharmacology; D014664:Vasodilation
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010958:Plasminogen; D013917:Thrombin; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D005341:Fibrinolysin