title: Effect of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of nitric oxide synthase on vascular reactivity of rat isolated pulmonary arteries.
abstract: Aerosol gene transfer of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) to rat lungs increased NOS expression and activity, and prevented hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) in vivo. Hereby, we examined the effect of eNOS and iNOS aerosol gene transfer on the endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) and on acute HPV in isolated rat pulmonary arteries. Changes in isometric forces were recorded in organ baths for large conduit arteries (diameter 1.8+/-0.1 mm) and in a wire myograph for small resistance arteries (258+/-35 microm). Male Wistar rats were randomly aerosolized with adenovirus (Ad) encoding beta-galactosidase (control), eNOS, or iNOS. Four days later, exhaled nitric oxide was measured, NOS expression within rat lungs was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, vasoconstricting agonist and acetylcholine concentration response curves were generated, and the time course of HPV was recorded. Human eNOS and murine iNOS were expressed within rat lung tissue mostly in parenchyma and endothelial cells. Large arteries isolated from Ad-i, eNOS-aerosolized rats developed lower agonist-induced tension than those of control rats. The first and second contractions of the HPV were smaller in the Ad-i, eNOS-aerosolized rats. Contractions were modestly, but significantly and inversely, related to exhaled NO. Agonist- and hypoxia-induced contractions were even more reduced after eNOS aerosolization. There was no significant effect on EDR and no notable difference between small and large vessels. We conclude that adenovirus (Ad)-mediated NOS gene transfer can counteract both pharmacologically and hypoxia-induced increases in pulmonary vascular tone in isolated rat pulmonary arteries. eNOS seems as efficient as iNOS in regulating pulmonary vascular tone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Leifu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Rozenn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quarck
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janssens
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pokreisz
authors.forename: Maurits
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demedts
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delcroix
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae; D000818:Animals; D001944:Breath Tests; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000502:physiology*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000502:physiology*; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020033:Protein Isoforms; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III