title: Protection against endotoxemia in rats by a novel tetrahydrobiopterin analogue.
abstract: We studied the effects of a novel pterin antagonist of NO synthase, the 4-amino analogue of tetrahydrobiopterin (4-ABH4), in a rat model of endotoxic shock and compared its properties with those of N(G)-monomethyl L-arginine (L-NMMA). Treatment with a bolus dose of 4-ABH4 at 2 h after LPS challenge significantly improved the 6-day survival rate, compared with the controls treated with saline. L-NMMA treatment did not significantly influence the survival rate. This bolus treatment, using either compound, had no effect on the plasma nitrite + nitrate or plasma IL-6 levels. The continuous infusion of 4-ABH4 efficiently suppressed the enhanced calcium-dependent/independent NO synthase activities induced by endotoxin in lung homogenates and completely suppressed the increase in plasma nitrite + nitrate caused by endotoxin at 5 h, with no significant difference compared with the L- NMMA treatment. Treatment of RAW264.7 murine macrophages with 4-ABH4 but not with L-NMMA suppressed endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha release by the cells, whereas nitrite in the supernatant decreased in a dose-dependent fashion in both assay systems. Our data show that 4-ABH4, an inhibitor of inducible NO synthase, significantly improves survival in a rat model of endotoxic shock when administered in a bolus dose that does not reduce plasma total nitrite + nitrate levels. Because we observed no overt signs of toxicity and no influence on organ-specific tetrahydrobiopterin levels, we conclude that the novel compound 4-ABH4 is a promising drug candidate for protection against endotoxin-related mortality.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bahrami
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fitzal
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peichl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gasser
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fuerst
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Strohmaier
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Redl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Werner-Felmayer
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002460:Cell Line; D019446:Endotoxemia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C106930:4-amino-tetrahydrobiopterin; D001708:Biopterins; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat