title: Effects of cyclooxygenase inhibitor pretreatment on nitric oxide production, nNOS and iNOS expression in rat cerebellum.
abstract: 1. The therapeutic effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is thought to be due mainly to its inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, but there is a growing body of research that now demonstrates a variety of NSAIDs effects on cellular signal transduction pathways other than those involving prostaglandins. 2. Nitric oxide (NO) as a free radical and an agent that gives rise to highly toxic oxidants (peroxynitrile, nitric dioxide, nitron ion), becomes a cause of neuronal damage and death in some brain lesions such as Parkinson and Alzheimer disease, and Huntington's chorea. 3. In the present study, the in vivo effect of three NSAIDs (lysine clonixinate (LC), indomethacine (INDO) and meloxicam (MELO)) on NO production and nitric oxide synthase expression in rat cerebellar slices was analysed. Rats were treated with (a) saline, (b) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 mg kg(-1), i.p.), (c) saline in combination with different doses of NSAIDs and (d) LPS in combination with different doses of NSAIDs and then killed 6 h after treatment. 4. NO synthesis, evaluated by Bred and Snyder technique, was increased by LPS. This augmentation was inhibited by coadministration of the three NSAIDs assayed. None of the NSAIDs tested was able to modify control NO synthesis. 5. Expression of iNOS and neural NOS (nNOS) was detected by Western blotting in control and LPS-treated rats. LC and INDO, but not MELO, were able to inhibit the expression of these enzymes. 6. Therefore, reduction of iNOS and nNOS levels in cerebellum may explain, in part, the anti-inflammatory effect of these NSAIDs and may also have importance in the prevention of NO-mediated neuronal injury.
authors.affiliation: Segunda Cátedra de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Girolamo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Riberio
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ogando
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aisemberg
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: de los Santos
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Martí
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Franchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat