title: Production of nitric oxide in mouse peritoneal macrophages after priming with interferon-gamma by the stem of Sinomenium acutum.
abstract: The present study demonstrates that the aqueous extract of Sinomenium acutum stem (SSAE) produces nitric oxide (NO) upon treatment with recombinant interferon gamma (rIFN-gamma) in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Apparently SSAE has no effect on NO production by itself. This production is dependent on L-arginine and can be inhibited by the L-arginine analogue N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine. The increased production of NO from rIFN-gamma plus SSAE-stimulated cells was decreased by the treatment of protein kinase C inhibitor. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has been shown to stimulate the oxidative metabolism of L-arginine to produce NO. Mouse peritoneal macrophages secrete high levels of TNF-alpha after incubation with rIFN-gamma plus SSAE. In addition, SSAE-induced NO production is progressively inhibited by anti-murine TNF-alpha neutralizing antibody. These results show that the capacity of SSAE to increase NO production from rIFN-gamma-primed mouse peritoneal macrophages is the result of SSAE-induced TNF-alpha secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oriental Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, South Korea. hmkim@med.wonkwang.ac.kr
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000235:genetics; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000032:analysis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D010936:Plant Extracts; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D001120:Arginine