title: Nitric oxide protects thymocytes from gamma-irradiation-induced apoptosis in correlation with inhibition of p53 upregulation and mitochondrial damage.
abstract: Apoptosis plays a crucial role in clonal deletion in the thymus, and NO has been shown to prevent apoptosis in some cell types. Therefore, we examined the effect of NO on gamma-irradiation-induced thymocyte apoptosis. Treatment of 5 Gy gamma-irradiated thymocytes with 1 mM SNAP reduced cell death from 78 to 49% after 8 h incubation (spontaneous cell death in medium control cells was 26%). Coincubation with ZVAD blocked both the spontaneous cell death and the cell death induced by SNAP or gamma-irradiation. The gamma-irradiation-induced increase in caspase 3 and 6 activities was inhibited in the presence of SNAP. The increase in cytosolic cytochrome c as well as the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential after gamma-irradiation was inhibited in the presence of SNAP. SNAP treatment also decreased the p53 upregulation in gamma-irradiated cells. In summary, we found that NO exerts a protective effect on mouse thymocyte apoptosis induced by gamma-irradiation. The mechanism of this protective effect may involve inhibition of p53 upregulation and reduction in mitochondrial damage, with subsequent inhibition of downstream caspase activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stanford
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hoffman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005720:Gamma Rays; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C110881:S-nitro-N-acetylpenicillamine; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010396:Penicillamine