title: Serine 1179 phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase caused by 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene through PI3K/Akt signaling in endothelial cells.
abstract: Although 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) has been found to uncouple nitric oxide synthase (NOS), thereby leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS), cellular response against TNT still remains unclear. Exposure of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) to TNT (100 microM) resulted in serine 1179 phosphorylation of endothelial NOS (eNOS). With specific inhibitors (wortmannin and LY294002), we found that PI3K/Akt signaling participated in the eNOS phosphorylation caused by TNT, whereas the ERK pathway did not. ROS were generated following exposure of BAECs to TNT. However, TNT-mediated phosphorylation of either eNOS or Akt was drastically blocked by NAC and PEG-CAT. Interestingly, pretreatment with apocynin, a specific inhibitor for NADPH oxidase, diminished the phosphorylation of eNOS and Akt. These results suggest that TNT affects NADPH oxidase, thereby generating hydrogen peroxide, which is capable of activating PI3K/Akt signaling associated with eNOS Ser 1179 phosphorylation.
authors.affiliation: Doctoral Programs in Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Daigo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sumi
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kumagai
mesh_terms: D000730:Androstadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000502:physiology*; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014303:Trinitrotoluene / Q000633:toxicity*; D000077191:Wortmannin
chemical_list: D000730:Androstadienes; D002867:Chromones; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009025:Morpholines; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D012694:Serine; D014303:Trinitrotoluene; D000077191:Wortmannin; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one