title: Pretreatment of astrocytes with interferon-alpha/beta impairs interferon-gamma induction of nitric oxide synthase.
abstract: Excessive nitric oxide/peroxynitrite generation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, and the demonstration of increased astrocytic nitric oxide synthase activity in the postmortem brain of multiple sclerosis patients supports this hypothesis. Exposure of astrocytes, in primary culture, to interferon-gamma results in stimulation of nitric oxide synthase activity and increased nitric oxide release. In contrast to interferon-gamma, interferon-alpha/beta had a minimal effect on astrocytic nitric oxide formation. Furthermore, pretreatment of astrocytes with interferon-alpha/beta inhibited (approximately 65%) stimulation by interferon-gamma of nitric oxide synthase activity and nitric oxide release. Treatment with interferon-alpha/beta at a concentration as low as 10 U/ml caused inhibition of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase. Furthermore, the damage to cytochrome c oxidase was prevented by the putative interferon-alpha/beta receptor antagonist oxyphenylbutazone. In view of these observations, our current hypothesis is that the mitochondrial damage caused by exposure to interferon-alpha/beta may impair the ability of astrocytes to induce nitric oxide synthase activity on subsequent interferon-gamma exposure. These results may have implications for our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the therapeutic effects of interferon-alpha/beta preparations in multiple sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, England.
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giovannoni
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Land
authors.forename: W I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Heales
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D010113:Oxyphenbutazone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013386:Succinates / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D013386:Succinates; D016899:Interferon-beta; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D010113:Oxyphenbutazone; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester