title: Endothelial nitric oxide synthase overexpression attenuates congestive heart failure in mice.
abstract: Congestive heart failure results in cardiovascular dysfunction and diminished vascular nitric oxide (NO) production. We hypothesized that overexpression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) within the endothelium would reduce the extent of contractile dysfunction in a murine model of infarct-induced congestive heart failure. We generated transgenic (TG) mice overexpressing the human eNOS gene. The TG mice displayed significantly enhanced eNOS protein levels and eNOS activity levels (10- to 12-fold greater) in the aorta and the coronary vasculature. Non-TG (NTg) and eNOS TG mice were subjected to permanent left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and then observed for 1 mo. We assessed cardiac function in vivo by using echocardiography and ultraminiature ventricular pressure catheters. Myocardial infarct size was similar between study groups (approximately 70% of the risk zone). Survival was increased by 43% in the eNOS TG mice compared with NTg (P < 0.05). Fractional shortening and cardiac output were also significantly (P < 0.05) greater in the eNOS TG than in NTg. Interestingly, pulmonary edema was evident only in NTg mice, and no evidence of pulmonary edema was observed in the eNOS TG mice. Thus, targeted overexpression of the eNOS gene within the vascular endothelium in mice attenuates both cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction and dramatically improves survival during severe congestive heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA.
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: James J M
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Greer
authors.forename: Rien
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Haperen
authors.forename: Dirk J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Duncker
authors.forename: Rini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Crom
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lefer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000209:etiology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496315:Nos3 protein, mouse