title: Monophosphoryl lipid A stimulated up-regulation of nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide release by human monocytes in vitro.
abstract: Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) is a derivative of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with reduced toxicity which has been shown to modulate various immune functions in monocytes. We examined whether human monocytes can be stimulated to produce nitric oxide (NO) and its catalytic enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Monocytes were stimulated with LPS or MPL and both NOS and NO (as nitrite) production were measured. MPL at high doses (> 100 micrograms/ml) stimulated monocytes to release NO that was significantly greater than both the control and LPS-treated monocytes (p < 0.05). NO release by control cells and the LPS treated cells was not significantly different. Both arginase and N-monomethyl arginine (NMLA) inhibited the MPL stimulated release of NO (p < 0.01). MPL significantly increased inducible NOS (iNOS) expression as measured by both fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry (p < 0.05). Similarly, both soluble NOS (sNOS) and particulate NOS (pNOS) activity were significantly up-regulated by MPL (p < 0.05). Significant correlations were found between pNOS expression and sNOS release (r = 0.72, p < 0.0001) and between 12 h NO release and sNOS production (r = 0.44, p < 0.005). These experiments confirm that human monocytes can be stimulated with MPL to produce NO in vitro and suggest that up-regulation of pNOS does not preclude NO release.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Saint Vincents Hospital, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Astiz
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Rackow
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Eales
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001119:Arginase / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008050:Lipid A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008050:Lipid A; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D001119:Arginase; C048436:monophosphoryl lipid A