title: Synergistic cytotoxicity from nitric oxide and hyperoxia in cultured lung cells.
abstract: Exogenous nitric oxide (NO) is being tested clinically for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in infants and children. In most cases, these patients receive simultaneous oxygen (O2) therapy. However, little is known about the combined toxicity of NO + hyperoxia. To test this potential toxicity, human alveolar epithelial cells (A549 cells) and human lung microvascular endothelial lung cells were cultured in room air (control), hyperoxia (95% O2), NO (derived from chemical donors), or combined hyperoxia + NO. Control cells grew normally over a 6-day study period. In contrast, cell death from hyperoxia was evident after 4-5 days, whereas cells neither died nor divided in NO alone. However, cells exposed to both NO and hyperoxia began to die on day 2 and died rapidly thereafter. This cytotoxic effect was clearly synergistic, and cell death did not occur via apoptosis. As an indicator of peroxynitrite formation, nitrotyrosine-containing proteins were assayed using anti-nitrotyrosine antibodies. Two protein bands, at molecular masses of 25 and 35 kDa, were found to be increased in A549 cells exposed to NO or NO + hyperoxia. These results indicate that combined NO + hyperoxia has a synergistic cytotoxic effect on alveolar epithelial and lung vascular endothelial cells in culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Winthrop-University Hospital, State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, Mineola 11501, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Narula
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kazzaz
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horowitz
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008833:Microcirculation; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000633:toxicity*; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000378:metabolism; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D014443:Tyrosine; C024960:nitrotyrosine ethyl ester; D010100:Oxygen