title: Spontaneous nitric oxide in hepatocyte monolayers and inhibition of compound-induced apoptosis.
abstract: Primary cultures of hepatocytes are a widely used in vitro model for biochemical research. Following isolation, hepatocytes produce large amounts of nitric oxide (NO), which is known to have both pro- and anti-apoptotic effects in hepatocytes in vivo and in vitro. Previous work has not determined the effect of these increased levels of NO on the response of hepatocytes to apoptotic stimuli. Here we report that levels of nitrites are elevated in hepatocyte monolayers from 24 h onwards. Addition of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), to the medium inhibited this increase in nitrites. These results indicate that the increase in nitrite is most likely due to the formation of NO. Elevated nitrite levels had no effect either on basal levels of apoptosis or on ATP and GSH. Apoptosis was induced by transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFbeta-1) or glycochenodeoxycholate (GCDC). Both compounds caused moderate hepatocyte apoptosis; however, addition of L-NAME prior to exposure significantly increased the level of apoptosis observed with the two compounds. Both TGFbeta-1 and GCDC had no effect on hepatocyte ATP or GSH levels; however, as a consequence of secondary necrosis, TGFbeta-1 exposure significantly increased levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. These findings indicate that the increased levels of NO associated with the culture of hepatocytes have an inhibitory effect on compound-induced apoptosis in the cells.
authors.affiliation: Aventis CropScience, 355 rue Dostoievski, BP-153, 06903, Sophia Antipolis, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dilworth
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bigot-Lasserre
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bars
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005999:Glycochenodeoxycholic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: C508962:Tgfb1 protein, rat; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D005999:Glycochenodeoxycholic Acid; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D005978:Glutathione; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester