title: fMLP-induced in vitro nitric oxide production and its regulation in murine peritoneal macrophages.
abstract: Bacterial N-formyl peptides such as N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) are important mediators of monocyte/macrophage recruitment and activation at the sites of inflammation. In the current study, the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the activation of murine peritoneal macrophages to tumoricidal state in response to in vitro fMLP treatment has been investigated. Murine peritoneal macrophages on treatment with fMLP showed a dose- and time-dependent production of NO together with increased tumoricidal activity against P815 mastocytoma cells. L-NMMA, a specific inhibitor of L-arginine pathway, inhibited the fMLP-induced NO secretion and macrophage-mediated tumoricidal activity against P815 cells. These results indicate the L-arginine-dependent production of NO to be one of the effector mechanisms contributing to the tumoricidal activity of fMLP-treated macrophages. The expression of iNOS protein and iNOS mRNA is also observed. The pharmacological inhibitors genistein, wortmannin, H7, PD98059, TPCK, and pertussis toxin (PTX) blocked the fMLP-induced NO production, suggesting the involvement of tyrosine kinases, PI3K, PKC, p42/44 MAPkinase, NF-kappa B, and G-proteins. The expression of phospho-p42/44 MAPK and phospho-I kappa B was also observed. The role of protein phosphatases in the above pathway has been suggested using the specific inhibitors of these phosphatases, i.e., okadaic acid and sodium orthovanadate.
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. ajit.sodhi@lycos.com
authors.forename: Ajit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sodhi
authors.forename: Subhra K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Biswas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse