title: Roles of iNOS and nNOS in sepsis-induced pulmonary apoptosis.
abstract: Apoptosis(programmed cell death) is induced in pulmonary cells and contributes to the pathogenesis of acute lung injury in septic humans. Previous studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) is an important modulator of apoptosis; however, the functional role of NO derived from inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in sepsis-induced pulmonary apoptosis remains unknown. We measured pulmonary apoptosis in a rat model of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis in the absence and presence of the selective iNOS inhibitor 1400W. Four groups were studied 24 h after saline (control) or LPS injection in the absence and presence of 1400W pretreatment. Apoptosis was evaluated using DNA fragmentation, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining, and caspase activation. LPS administration significantly augmented pulmonary cell apoptosis and caspase-3 activity in airway and alveolar epithelial cells. Pretreatment with 1400W significantly enhanced LPS-induced pulmonary apoptosis and increased caspase-3 and -7 activation. The antiapoptotic effect of iNOS was confirmed in iNOS-/- mice, which developed a greater degree of pulmonary apoptosis both under control conditions and in response to LPS compared with wild-type mice. By comparison, genetic deletion of the neuronal NOS had no effect on LPS-induced pulmonary apoptosis. We conclude that NO derived from iNOS plays an important protective role against sepsis-induced pulmonary apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Rm. L3.03, Critical Care Division, Royal Victoria Hospital, 687 Pine Ave. West, Montreal, H3A 1A1 Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Jill C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rudkowski
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barreiro
authors.forename: Rania
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harfouche
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kishta
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Orleans-Juste
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Labonte
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lesur
authors.forename: Sabah N A
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Hussain
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000578:Amidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001596:Benzylamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018805:Sepsis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000578:Amidines; D001596:Benzylamines; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; C104820:N-(3-(aminomethyl)benzyl)acetamidine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496321:Nos1 protein, mouse; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; D020169:Caspases