title: Reduced hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen in mice lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase: potential role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-10.
abstract: Macrophage-derived inflammatory mediators have been implicated in tissue injury induced by a number of hepatotoxicants. In the present studies, we used transgenic mice with a targeted disruption of the gene for inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS II) to analyze the role of nitric oxide in inflammatory mediator production in the liver and in tissue injury induced by acetaminophen. Treatment of wild-type mice with acetaminophen (300 mg/kg) resulted in centrilobular hepatic necrosis, which was evident within 3 h and reached a maximum at 18 h. This was correlated with NOS II expression and nitrotyrosine staining of the liver, which was most prominent after 6 h. Expression of mRNA for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-10 (IL-10), matrix metalloproteinase-9, and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) also increased in the liver following acetaminophen treatment of wild-type mice. NOS II knockout mice were found to be less sensitive to the hepatotoxic effects of acetaminophen than wild-type mice. This did not appear to be due to differences in acetaminophen-induced glutathione depletion or adduct formation. In NOS II knockout mice treated with acetaminophen, hepatic expression of TNF-alpha, as well as CTGF, was significantly increased compared to wild-type mice. In contrast, IL-10 expression was reduced. These data demonstrate that nitric oxide is important in hepatotoxicity induced by acetaminophen. Moreover, some of its effects may be mediated by altering production of pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines and proteins important in tissue repair.
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway 08854, USA.
authors.forename: Carol R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Laskin
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dambach
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: Stephen K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Durham
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Marion K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Gerecke
authors.forename: Peihong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Laskin
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006146:Guanidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D011485:Protein Binding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C526318:CCN2 protein, mouse; D006146:Guanidines; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor; D000082:Acetaminophen; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; C004479:pimagedine