[Effects of nitroglycerin and dexamethasone on nitric oxide and endothelin derived from alveolar macrophages in patients with mild and middle asthma].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the changes about nitric oxide(NO), endothelin(ET) derived from alveolar macrophages(AMs) and the effects of nitroglycerin(NTG) and mexamethason(DXM) on ET and NO in patients with mild and middle asthma.


METHODS
The AMs from 7 healthy control subjects and 15 patients with attacking asthma were purified, and divided into healthy control unpretreated(Group 1), asthmatic unpretreated (Group 2), asthmatic pretreated by DXM(Group 3), asthmatic pretreated by NTG(Group 4). All purified AMs were cultured for 48 hours. The NO level and ET level in supernatant and the expression of iNOS-mRNA, ET-mRNA of cultured AM from above subjects were examined by copper coated cadmiunm reduction, radioimmunoassay method and in situ hybridization respectively.


RESULTS
1. The AM of Group 1 secreted a little of NO, ET and expressed a little of iNOS-mRNA and ET-mRNA; 2. The NO and ET level in supernatant and the expression of iNOS-mRNA and ET-mRNAin Group 2 were evidently higher than those in other groups(P < 0.05, respectively); 3. The NO and ET level in supernatant and the expression of iNOS-mRNA and ET-mRNA in Group 3 were evidently decreased, but they were still higher than those in Group 1(P < 0.05, respectively); 4. The NO level in Group 4 was higher than that in other groups(P < 0.05, respectively); 5. The expression of iNOS-mRNA was negatively correlated with the NO level(r = -0.59, P < 0.05), and the expression of ET-mRNA was positively correlated with the ET level(r = 0.92, P < 0.01) in Group 4.


CONCLUSIONS
The AMs from patients with asthma exacerbation secrete a large quantity of NO and ET because of the increasing expression of iNOS-mRNA, ET-mRNA; DXM can inhibit the expression of iNOS-mRNA and ET-mRNA, and decrease NO and ET level, but the NO and ET level are still abnormal; NTG can improve directly the production of NO and inhibit significantly the expression of iNOS-mRNA and ET-mRNA as well as decrease the ET level.
Department of Internal Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, Hunan Medical University, Changsha 410011.
X D
XD
Xiang
H Y
HY
Zhou
P
P
Chen
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D016232:Endothelins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D016232:Endothelins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003907:Dexamethasone; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D005996:Nitroglycerin