title: Regulation of amino acid arginine transport by lipopolysaccharide and nitric oxide in intestinal epithelial IEC-6 cells.
abstract: As a precursor for nitric oxide (NO) synthesis and an immune-enhancing nutrient, amino acid L-arginine plays a critical role in maintaining intestine mucosal integrity and immune functions in sepsis. However, the relationship between intestinal arginine transport and NO synthesis in sepsis remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and NO on the arginine transport in cultured rat intestinal epithelial IEC-6 cell. Near-confluent IEC-6 cells were incubated with LPS (0-50 microg/ml) in serum-free Dulbecco's modified Eagles's medium, in the presence and absence of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 0-500 micromol/L) and the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor N-omega-nitro-L-arginine (NNA, 0-1000 micromol/L) for various periods of time (0-48 hours). Arginine transport activity, arginine transporter CAT1 mRNA and protein levels were measured with transport assay, Northern blot analysis, and Western blot analysis, respectively. LPS increased arginine transport activity in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. Prolonged incubation of LPS (24 hours, 25 microg/ml) resulted in a 3-fold increase of arginine transport activity (control: 28 +/- 5; LPS: 92 +/- 20 pmol/mg/min, P < 0.05), with the System y(+) as the predominant arginine transport system, and a 2-fold increase of System y(+)CAT1 mRNA and transporter protein levels (P < 0.05). LPS increased the arginine transport System y(+) maximal velocity (V(max), control: 1484 +/- 180; LPS: 2800 +/- 230 pmol/mg/min, P < 0.05) without affecting the transport affinity (K(m), control: 76 +/- 8; LPS: 84 +/- 14 micromol/L, p = NS). The LPS-induced arginine transport activity was blocked by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (control: 25 +/- 6; LPS: 97 +/- 26 *; SNP: 22 +/- 0.4(+); LPS+SNP: 33 +/- 10.3(+) pmole/mg/min, *P < 0.01 and (+)p = NS, compared with control). In contrary, the LPS-induced arginine transport activity was further augmented by NNA (control: 18 +/- 3.2; LPS: 59 +/- 2.7 *; NNA: 26.3 +/- 5.8; LPS + NNA: 127 +/- 18(+) pmol/mg/min; *P < 0.01 compared with control and (+)P < 0.01 compared with control or LPS). LPS-stimulates arginine transport activity in IEC-6 cells via a mechanism that involves increase of transport System y(+) mRNA levels and transporter protein levels. The LPS-stimulated arginine transport activity is regulated by the availability of nitric oxide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA.
authors.forename: QingHe
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Haroon A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Choudry
authors.forename: Wiley W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Souba
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Karinch
authors.forename: JingLi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: ChengMao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Vary
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine