title: Nitroarginine methyl ester and canavanine lower intracellular reduced glutathione.
abstract: In rat glial cells, arginine analogs N(G)-nitroarginine methyl ester (both D- and L-stereoisomer) and L-canavanine lower the intracellular levels of reduced glutathione, stimulate the pentose phosphate pathway, increase the level of malonyldialdehyde, and increase the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase. These effects are not related to the inhibition of nitric oxide synthase and depend on the oxidation of intracellular thiols; indeed, there are no signs of lipoperoxidation and cytotoxicity in cells previously loaded with glutathione. Furthermore, these arginine analogs elicit an oxidative burst in N11 cells and decrease the detectable level of both glutathione and dithiothreitol in cell-free experiments. These effects were not observed with the arginine analog N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine, suggesting that the substituting moiety in (or near) the guanidine group could modify the reactivity of the arginine analogs with thiol compounds.
authors: Department of Genetics, Biology, and Biochemistry, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors: Chiara
authors: C
authors: Riganti
authors: Elisabetta
authors: E
authors: Aldieri
authors: Loredana
authors: L
authors: Bergandi
authors: Erica
authors: E
authors: Miraglia
authors: Costanzo
authors: C
authors: Costamagna
authors: Amalia
authors: A
authors: Bosia
authors: Dario
authors: D
authors: Ghigo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002172:Canavanine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002474:Cell-Free System; D004229:Dithiothreitol / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D010427:Pentose Phosphate Pathway / Q000187:drug effects*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D002172:Canavanine; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D005978:Glutathione; D004229:Dithiothreitol; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester