title: Differential antibacterial activity of nitric oxide from the immunological isozyme of nitric oxide synthase transduced into endothelial cells.
abstract: Primary cultures of endothelial cells, grown on the three-dimensional matrix Gelfoam where they take on the morphology of these cells in vivo, were found to phagocytose Staphylococcus aureus and two strains of Escherichia coli. The phagocytosis was independent of opsonization, although once opsonized, these bacteria were phagocytosed by endothelial cells. As cytochalsin D inhibited the internationalization of S. aureus and E. coli, the phagocytosis by endothelial cells appears to be actin-dependent. Transducing the gene for nitric oxide synthase (NOS) II into endothelial cells allowed us to determine the importance of NO(*) in host immunity against these bacteria. While the growth of S. aureus was impeded by NOS II endothelial cells, two strains of E. coli were killed by an NO(*)-dependent pathway. We conclude that endothelial cells have microbicidal mechanisms that are selective for the type of pathogen encountered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 725 W. Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guan Liang
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: Joseph B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Domachowske
authors.forename: Gerald M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rosen
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000276:immunology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000166:cytology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology; D014161:Transduction, Genetic
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II