title: Induction of nitric oxide synthase in mouse dendritic cells by IFN-gamma, endotoxin, and interaction with allogeneic T cells: nitric oxide production is associated with dendritic cell apoptosis.
abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) is an important effector molecule that is involved in immune regulation and host defense. In this study, highly purified NLDC 145+ (DEC-205+) MHC class II(bright) B7-2+ dendritic cells (DC) propagated from normal mouse bone marrow in response to granulocyte-macrophage CSF + IL-4 were induced to produce NO by IFN-gamma and LPS. NO production was inhibited by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA). Nitrite also accumulated in mixed leukocyte culture supernatants as the result of coculture of DC with purified naive allogeneic T cells. Furthermore, NO production was induced by CD40 ligation. Suboptimal T cell proliferation observed at high relative concentrations of DC correlated with increased NO production and was mitigated by NMMA. Induction of mRNA for an inducible NOS (iNOS) in DC was confirmed by Northern blotting, whereas intracellular iNOS was visualized by two-color flow cytometry and by both immunofluorescent and immunogold labeling in a subpopulation of IFN-gamma + LPS-stimulated cells. Both endogenous NO production and exposure of unstimulated DC to the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) resulted in DC apoptosis. Thus, although DC function initially as the most potent APCs for T cell activation, DC induced to synthesize NOS by IFN-gamma may inhibit (allogeneic) T cell proliferation: NO may suppress lymphocyte proliferation and also induce apoptosis of the most potent source of alloantigenic stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bonham
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D019013:CD40 Antigens; D004731:Endotoxins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase