title: Human chorionic gonadotropin induces nitric oxide synthesis by murine microglia.
abstract: This study investigated the effects of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) in murine neonatal microglial cells. When hCG was used in combination with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), there was a marked cooperative induction of NO synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. This increase in NO synthesis was reflected as an increased amount of iNOS protein. The increase of NO synthesis by IFN-gamma-plus-hCG was associated with the increase of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) secretion and hCG-induced NO production was decreased by the treatment with anti-murine TNF-alpha neutralizing antibody. This study provides evidence that hCG activates expression of iNOS protein in murine microglial cells accompanied by NO accumulation via pathway dependent on L-arginine in the culture medium, and further offers that TNF-alpha acts on the NO synthesis from IFN-gamma-primed murine microglial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oriental Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Center of Oriental Medicinal Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, 570-749, South Korea. hmkim@wonnms.wonkwang.ac.kr
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Rim
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jeung
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D009573:Nitrites / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C496320:NOS1 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; C496321:Nos1 protein, mouse