title: Nitric oxide protects mast cells from activation-induced cell death: the role of the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-Akt-endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway.
abstract: NO is known to suppress mast cell activation, but the role of NO in mast cell survival is unclear. Ligation of the high-affinity receptor for IgE (FcepsilonRI) resulted in NO production in mast cells within minutes. This NO production was largely dependent on NO synthase (NOS) activity and extracellular Ca(2+). The NO production required an aggregation of FcepsilonRI and was accompanied by increased phosphorylation of endothelial NOS (eNOS) at Ser1177 and Akt at Ser473. The phosphorylation of eNOS and Akt and the production of NO were abolished by the PI-3K inhibitor wortmannin. Although thapsigargin (TG) induced NO production as well, this response occurred with a considerable lag time (>10 min) and was independent of FcepsilonRI aggregation and PI-3K and NOS activity. Mast cells underwent apoptosis in response to TG but not upon FcepsilonRI ligation. However, when the NOS-dependent NO production was blocked, FcepsilonRI ligation caused sizable apoptosis, substantial mitochondrial cytochrome c release, caspase-3/7 activation, and collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential, all of which were inhibited by the caspase-3 inhibitor z-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethylketone. The data suggest that the NO produced by the PI-3K-Akt-eNOS pathway is involved in protecting mast cells from cell death.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Cell Immunology and Allergology, Advanced Medical Research Center, Nihon University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 30-1 Oyaguchikami-cho Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshimaru
authors.forename: Chisei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D015471:Leukemia, Basophilic, Acute; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000473:pathology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt