title: Visualization of nitric oxide formation in cell cultures and living tissue.
abstract: We have visualized nitric oxide (NO) released from cell cultures and living tissue. NO was visualized by a reaction with luminol and hydrogen peroxide to yield photons which were counted using a microscope coupled to a photon counting camera. Murine macrophages were activated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and endotoxin (LPS). Cultured endothelial cells were stimulated with bradykinin, and neurones in the guinea-pig myenteric plexus and the rabbit hypogastric nerve trunk were electrically stimulated. There was a marked increase in photons emitted from the cultured cells as well as from the living tissues during stimulation. The stimulation-induced photon emission was markedly reduced by inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS); removal of L-arginine from the medium also decreased photon counts. The present method allowed integration times in the order of minutes to improve signal-to-noise ratio. However, the high sensitivity of this method also makes it possible to generate an image in seconds, allowing the production of real time films. Photon emission was enhanced under conditions known to increase NO production, and diminished in the presence of NO inhibitors. Thus, this method has demonstrated specificity for the L-arginine:NO pathway from a wide range of biological sources such as cultured cells and living tissues, and has the potential for real time imaging of NO formation, with high temporal and spatial resolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Wiklund
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cellek
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brundin
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moncada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000172:deficiency; D001920:Bradykinin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D007001:Hypogastric Plexus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008165:Luminol / Q000378:metabolism; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D017785:Photons; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008165:Luminol; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D001120:Arginine; C496320:NOS1 protein, human; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496321:Nos1 protein, mouse; C496315:Nos3 protein, mouse; D001920:Bradykinin