Induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase by ginsenosides in cultured porcine endothelial cells.
Mechanism of Nitric oxide (NO) production by ginsenosides was investigated in cultured porcine endothelial cells. Beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (beta-NADPH) staining showed that the NO production was significantly enhanced by the presence of 40 microg/ml ginsenosides with 10 microM L-arginine after 12 h incubation. NO production was suppressed by addition of 0.5 microM Nomega-Nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), an inhibitor of NO synthases (NOSs), to the incubation medium. In addition, the immunoreactive signals of inducible NOS (iNOS) were appeared in endothelial cells after 12-h incubation of ginsenosides, whereas the signals were not observed in non-treated cells. Our findings suggest that ginsenosides can enhance NO production by induction of iNOS in addition to its direct effect on endothelial cells by increasing intracellular Ca2+ concentration.
Li
Z
Z
Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Tokushima University, Japan.
Niwa
Y
Y
Sakamoto
S
S
Shono
M
M
Chen
X
X
Nakaya
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D036145:Ginsenosides; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013552:Swine; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
D004338:Drug Combinations; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D036145:Ginsenosides; D012503:Saponins; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D002118:Calcium