title: Human ramified microglial cells produce nitric oxide upon Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide and tumor necrosis factor alpha stimulation.
abstract: This study shows that human ramified microglial cells derived from fetal brain primary cultures, are able to produce nitric oxide (NO). In fact, stimulation with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (1 microgram ml-1) or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) (500 U ml-1) enhances nitrite release in cell supernatants, as determined by the Griess reaction. A synergistic effect is achieved following treatment with LPS plus TNF alpha, this effect being inhibited by pretreating cells with NOS inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern blot analysis, we also found that LPS/TNF alpha produce an increase of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Ill University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colasanti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Persichini
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Di Pucchio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gremo
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lauro
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase