title: Cobalt-60 gamma radiation increased the nitric oxide generation in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells.
abstract: Radiation is a promising and new treatment for restenosis following angioplasty. Nitric oxide has been proposed as a potential "anti-restenotic" molecule. We radiated the cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells with Cobalt-60 gamma radiation at doses of 14 and 25Gy and observed nitrite production, cGMP content, L-arginine uptake, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity, and the gene expression of iNOS. Results showed that radiation at doses of 14 and 25Gy increased cGMP content by 92.4% and 86.4%, respectively. Radiation at the dose of 25Gy increased the iNOS activity and nitrite content, but radiation at the dose of 14Gy had no significant effect on iNOS activity and NO production. Both doses of radiation significantly decreased the L-arginine transport. Radiation at the doses of 14 and 25Gy increased iNOS gene expression significantly, which was consistent with the effect of radiation on iNOS activity. In conclusion, radiation induces the NO generation by up-regulating the iNOS activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Guang Zhen
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Feng Rong
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ding Fang
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.forename: Shu Heng
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong Zheng
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Chao Shu
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000528:radiation effects; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005720:Gamma Rays / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D009573:Nitrites; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; D006152:Cyclic GMP