title: Enhanced production of inducible nitric oxide synthase by beta-glucans in mice.
abstract: We have already demonstrated that various activities including NO (nitric oxide) synthesis in vivo and in vitro significantly differ between triple helical (SPG) and single helical (alkaline-treated SPG, SPG-OH) beta-glucans. It was previously suggested that the single helical conformer of beta-glucan (SPG-OH) was dominant in cytokine production and subsequent NO synthesis in vitro. In this study, we analyzed production of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induced by beta-glucans in vitro and in vivo. The iNOS production was enhanced in proteose peptone-induced peritoneal macrophages (PMs) cultured with SPG-OH in the presence of IFN-gamma for 24 h, and SPG-OH-induced PMs. Moreover, SPG-OH was effective for iNOS production not only in isolated macrophages but also in tissue macrophages, whereas SPG was less effective. These findings suggest that a single helical conformer is essential for iNOS production, and that NO synthesis by beta-glucans is closely related to iNOS production.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunopharmacology of Microbial Products, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yadomae
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005936:Glucans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D005936:Glucans; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase