Inhibition by (-)-Persenone A-related Compounds of Nitric Oxide and Superoxide Generation from Inflammatory Leukocytes

We have previously reported that persenone A, isolated from avocado fruit, is an effective inhibitor of both nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide (O₂ ^-) generation in cell culture systems. In this study, we have prepared four persenone A-related compounds and examined their inhibition of NO and O₂ ^- generation from inflammatory leukocytes. Some structural importance in persenone A to attenuate free radical generation is discussed.     

Nitric Oxide Correlation with Malondialdehyde and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme in Healthy Subjects and Patients with Thoracic Wounds

The correlations between nitric oxide products (NO _x ) and the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) were studied in the blood serum of patients with thoracic wounds (the test group) 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after the injury. The severity of a patient's state scored from 8 to 15 on the APACHE II scale. The control group comprised 20 blood donors. One day after wounding, NO _x , MDA, and ACE activity significantly increased. Subsequently, NO _x and ACE activity decreased, whereas MDA increased. A significant negative correlation was found between NO _x and MDA, and a significant positive correlation, between NO _x and ACE activity. The correlations observed in the control group were undetectable in the patients one day after wounding but were restored on the third day. Thus, thoracic injury was accompanied by an increase in NO _x and MDA, which determine the severity of oxidative stress. The positive correlation between NO _x and ACE activity in the control and test groups reflects their concerted action in regulating the physiological functions and metabolism.     

Expression of Biliverdin Reductase A in Peripheral Blood Leukocytes Is Associated with Treatment Response in HCV-Infected Patients

Background and Aims

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with systemic oxidative stress. Since the heme catabolic pathway plays an important role in antioxidant protection, we attempted to assess the gene expression of key enzymes of heme catabolism, heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), heme oxygenase 2 (HMOX2), and biliverdin reductase A (BLVRA) in the liver and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) of patients chronically infected with HCV.

Methods

Gene expressions (HMOX1, HMOX2, BLVRA) and HCV RNA were analyzed in PBL of HCV treatment naïve patients (n = 58) and controls (n = 55), with a subset of HCV patients having data on hepatic gene expression (n = 35). Based upon the therapeutic outcome, HCV patients were classified as either responders (n = 38) or treatment-failure patients (n = 20). Blood samples in HCV patients were collected at day 0, and week 12, 24, 36, and 48 after the initiation of standard antiviral therapy.

Results

Compared to the controls, substantially increased BLVRA expression was detected in PBL (p<0.001) of therapeutically naïve HCV patients. mRNA levels of BLVRA in PBL closely correlated with those in liver tissue (r2 = 0.347,p = 0.03). A marked difference in BLVRA expression in PBL between the sustained responders and patients with treatment failure was detected at week 0 and during the follow-up (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that BLVRA basal expression in PBL was an independent predictor for sustained virological response (OR 15; 95% CI 1.05–214.2; P = 0.046). HMOX1/2 expression did not have any effect on the treatment outcome.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that patients with chronic HCV infection significantly upregulate BLVRA expression in PBL. The lack of BLVRA overexpression is associated with non-responsiveness to standard antiviral therapy; whereas, HMOX1/2 does not seem to have any predictive potential.     

Endothelial Dysfunction and Metabolic Effects of Nitric Oxide in Humans

Shortage of nitric oxide (NO) is believed to be a key factor in the development of endothelial dysfunction. Metabolic effects of NO were analyzed in subjects with multiple metabolic disorders (essential arterial hypertension, platelet hyperaggregability, and hypercholesterolemia). Effects of the NO-inducing ₁-adrenoblocker nebivolol on the blood rheology and lipid profile were studied in pilots regularly exposed to factors of flying work contributing to the development of endotheliocyte dysfunction. The dynamics of spontaneous platelet aggregation in pilots with arterial hypertension suggested that nebivolol produced a statistically significant general effect on platelets, reducing their baseline activation by eliminating endothelial dysfunction. This NO-inducing drug has an antiatherosclerotic effect. Metabolic effects of NO are essential for normalizing endothelial functions because this messenger interacts with key reactions of the pathogenic cascade in the cardiovascular continuum.     

帕金森病和正常人外周血单个核细胞的蛋白质组差异分析

目的:通过研究帕金森病和正常外周血单个核细胞(PBMC)的蛋白质组差异,初步探讨外周免疫系统与帕金森病的病理联系.方法:用固相pH梯度双向凝胶电泳分离人帕金森病和正常单个核细胞总蛋白质,考马斯亮蓝染色,PDQuest 2-DE软件分析,对部分差异蛋白质点进行基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOF-MS)测定其胶内酶解后的肽质指纹图谱,用Mascot查询系统查询SWISS-PROT数据库.结果:获得了分辨率和重复性均较好的双向电泳考染图谱,对其中的21个差异蛋白质点分别进行肽质指纹分析,经数据库查询,初步鉴定为一些与蛋白降解、抗氧化应激、信号转导、细胞骨架、细胞周期调控等有关的蛋白质.结论:建立了帕金森病PBMC的双向凝胶电泳图谱,提示帕金森病和正常的PBMC的蛋白质表达具有差异.     

Nitric Oxide Synthase-Independent Generation of Nitric Oxide in Muscle Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important molecule in many physiological or pathophysiological processes including ischemia--reperfusion injury. The enzymatic nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-dependent pathway was universally accepted as the source of NO in ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, generation of NO that is independent of NOS has also been identified in ischemia--reperfusion injury to both cardiac and skeletal muscle. This review summarizes the evidence for the generation NOS-independent NO in ischemia--reperfusion injury to cardiac and skeletal muscle.     

PCOS患者外周血白细胞计数变化的临床意义

目的:探讨多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)患者外周血白细胞计数和血脂代谢变化的临床意义。方法:随机抽取2012年1月~2014年1月期间来院就诊未经药物治疗的PCOS患者48例作为研究对象,将体重指数(BMI)≥23的患者26例作为PCOS超重组,将BMI23的22例患者作为PCOS体重正常组,选择同期来院就诊的非PCOS妇女20例作为对照组,所有患者均于月经期空腹静脉抽血3~4m L,检测患者的血浆C反应蛋白(CRP)、血常规及血脂代谢指标。结果:PCOS超重组的甘油三酯(TG)、低密度脂蛋白(LDL-C)、载脂蛋白B(Apo-B)、外周白细胞总数、淋巴细胞、中性粒细胞、单核细胞、嗜酸性细胞、CRP指标均较对照组、PCOS体重正常组高,而高密度脂蛋白(HDL-C)、载脂蛋白A(Apo-A)水平较对照组、PCOS体重正常组低,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05);PCOS体重正常组淋巴细胞、CRP指标较对照组高,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:慢性炎症是PCOS的主要病理表现,其中体重超重的PCOS患者主要表现为血脂代谢异常及白细胞升高,而体重正常的PCOS患者主要表现为淋巴细胞升高。     

Increased Nitric Oxide Production in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

Nitric oxide (NO, nitrogen monoxide) is a messenger molecule whose synthesis can be induced by proinflammatory cytokines. Increased production of NO has been reported in various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. We studied serum nitrite and citrulline as surrogate markers for NO production in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and looked for correlation with extent of disease, disease duration, age, and systemic involvement. Thirty-four patients were studied against 20 controls. The nitrite levels were significantly higher in the disease group (1588.4 +/- 998.2 nmol/ml compared to 327.8 +/- 137.7 nmol/ml; P < 0.001). The citrulline levels of the disease group were also significantly higher (5490.1 +/- 2518.3 nmol/ml compared to 3264.5 +/- 2509.7 nmol/ml in the controls; P = 0.005). There was no significant difference among limited and diffuse subgroups. There was no significant difference in patients with or without arthritis or interstitial lung disease or with other systemic involvement. On multivariate analysis there was a trend toward a rising level of nitrite with worsening lung functions (P = 0.07). Hence, there is evidence of increased NO production in patients with SSc. There is no difference between NO levels in disease subgroups or those with systemic involvement.     

Relationships between Platelets and Blood Cells in Postprandial Glycemia in Healthy Individuals

The relationships between platelet aggregation and blood cell amount were studied in healthy subjects after fasting and after a standard carbohydrate breakfast. Positive relationships were revealed between certain parameters of platelet aggregation and the amounts of monocytes and eosinophils. Negative relationships were revealed between most parameters of platelet aggregation and the amount of platelets. Along with the well-known food leukocytosis and increased fibrinogen, postprandial conditions were characterized by an increase in certain parameters of platelet aggregation, destruction of the relationship between the fibrinogen concentration and platelet aggregation, impairment of the inverse relationship between the amount and aggregation of platelets, and moderate direct or inverse relationships between certain parameters of the first and the second stages of platelet aggregation and the erythrocyte parameters. As a disturbing factor, postprandial conditions activated platelet hemostasis by modulating the initial stages of aggregation and substantially changed the interrelations between blood cells.     

Nitric Oxide Production Is Increased in Patients with Inflammatory Myositis

Nitric oxide (NO) production is increased in several inflammatory disorders. We have previously demonstrated higher levels of NO production among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. In this study we measured serum levels of nitrite and citrulline using calorimetric methods as surrogate markers of NO production among patients with inflammatory myositis (IM). Twenty patients with IM and 19 age- and sex-matched controls were studied. Serum nitrite levels were significantly higher among patients than among controls (986.6 +/- 880 and 204.3 +/- 113.9 nmol/ml, respectively; P = 0.001). Serum citrulline levels, too, were significantly higher among patients than among controls (3755.7 +/- 1905.5 and 189 +/- 177.2 nmol/ml, respectively; P < 0.0001). There was a positive correlation between steroid dosage and serum citrulline levels (r = 0.51, P = 0.036) and a negative correlation between steroid dosage and disease duration (r = -0.54, P = 0.025). It was concluded that NO production is increased in patients with IM and those with more active disease, as indicated by higher steroid dosage, have higher serum citrulline levels.     

The Capacity of Red Blood Cells to Reduce Nitrite Determines Nitric Oxide Generation under Hypoxic Conditions

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key regulator of vascular tone. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is responsible for NO generation under normoxic conditions. Under hypoxia however, eNOS is inactive and red blood cells (RBC) provide an alternative NO generation pathway from nitrite to regulate hypoxic vasodilation. While nitrite reductase activity of hemoglobin is well acknowledged, little is known about generation of NO by intact RBC with physiological hemoglobin concentrations. We aimed to develop and apply a new approach to provide insights in the ability of RBC to convert nitrite into NO under hypoxic conditions. We established a novel experimental setup to evaluate nitrite uptake and the release of NO from RBC into the gas-phase under different conditions. NO measurements were similar to well-established clinical measurements of exhaled NO. Nitrite uptake was rapid, and after an initial lag phase NO release from RBC was constant in time under hypoxic conditions. The presence of oxygen greatly reduced NO release, whereas inhibition of eNOS and xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) did not affect NO release. A decreased pH increased NO release under hypoxic conditions. Hypothermia lowered NO release, while hyperthermia increased NO release. Whereas fetal hemoglobin did not alter NO release compared to adult hemoglobin, sickle RBC showed an increased ability to release NO. Under all conditions nitrite uptake by RBC was similar. This study shows that nitrite uptake into RBC is rapid and release of NO into the gas-phase continues for prolonged periods of time under hypoxic conditions. Changes in the RBC environment such as pH, temperature or hemoglobin type, affect NO release.     

Vaccinia Virus Replication and Cytopathic Effect in Cultures of Phytohemagglutinin-treated Human Peripheral Blood Leukocytes

Titers of vaccinia virus consistently increased in cultures of washed phytohemagglutinin-treated, peripheral blood leukocytes of a vaccinated adult. Concomitantly, a gradual rise occurred in the numbers of infected leukocytes, as determined by the infective center assay. Increase in viral titer was accompanied by cell injury, decline in cell numbers, and decreased acid production. Leukocytes not pretreated with phytohemagglutinin appeared to form infective centers after exposure to the vaccinia agent, but they did not replicate infectious virus. For viral replication, the continuous presence of phytohemagglutinin was required.     

Nitric Oxide and Blood Pressure in Mice Lacking Extracellular-Superoxide Dismutase

Nitric oxide is a major vasorelaxant and regulator of the blood pressure. The blood vessels contain several active sources of the superoxide radical, which reacts avidly with nitric oxide to form noxious peroxynitrite. There are large amounts of extracellular-superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) in the vascular wall. To evaluate the importance of EC-SOD for the physiology of nitric oxide, here we studied the blood pressure in mice lacking the enzyme. In chronically instrumented non-anaesthetized mice there was no difference in mean arterial blood pressure between wild-type controls and EC-SOD mutants. Extensive inhibition of nitric oxide synthases with N -monomethyl- l -arginine however resulted in a larger increase in blood pressure, and infusion of the nitric oxide donor nitrosoglutathione caused less reduction in blood pressure in the EC-SOD null mice. We interpret the alterations to be caused by a moderately increased consumption of nitric oxide by the superoxide radical in the EC-SOD null mice. One role of EC-SOD may be to preserve nitric oxide, a function that should be particularly important in vascular pathologies, in which large increases in superoxide formation have been documented.     

Inhibition of Mitochondrial ATP Generation by Nitric Oxide Switches Apoptosis to Necrosis

Under pathological conditions, the mode of cell death, apoptosis or necrosis, is relevant for the subsequent fate of the tissue. Cell demise may be shaped by endogenous mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) which interfere with subroutines of the death program. Here we show that apoptosis of Jurkat cells elicited by either staurosporine (STS) or anti-CD95 antibodies in glucose-free medium is converted to necrosis by NO donors. In the presence of NO, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c was delayed and activation of execution caspases was prevented. Stimulated cells died nonetheless. The switch in the mode of cell death was due to NO-dependent failure of mitochondrial energy production. Restoration of intracellular ATP by glucose supplementation recovered the cells' ability to activate caspases and undergo apoptosis. In this system, the apoptosis/necrosis conversion promoted by NO was not mediated by cyclic guanosine monophosphate-dependent mechanisms, poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP) activation, or inhibition of caspases due to S-nitrosylation and glutathione depletion. In contrast, depleting intracellular ATP with rotenone, an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I mimicked the effect of NO. The findings presented here suggest that NO can decide the shape of cell death by lowering intracellular ATP below the level required to allow the coordinated execution of apoptosis.     

Apnea-Induced Cortical BOLD-fMRI and Peripheral Sympathoneural Firing Response Patterns of Awake Healthy Humans

End-expiratory breath-holds (BH) and Mueller manoeuvres (MM) elicit large increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA). In 16 healthy humans (9♀, 35±4 years) we used functional magnetic resonance imaging with blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast to determine the cortical network associated with such sympathoexcitation. We hypothesized that increases in MSNA evoked by these simulated apneas are accompanied by BOLD contrast changes in the insular cortex, thalamus and limbic cortex. A series of 150 whole-brain images were collected during 3 randomly performed 16-second end-expiratory BHs and MMs (-30 mmHg). The identical protocol was repeated separately with MSNA recorded from the fibular nerve. The time course of the sympathoexcitatory response to both breathing tasks were correlated with whole-brain BOLD signal changes. Brain sites demonstrating both positive (activation) and negative (deactivation) correlations with the MSNA time course were identified. Sympathetic burst incidence increased (p<0.001) from 29±6 (rest) to 49±6 (BH) and 47±6 bursts/100 heartbeats (MM). Increased neural activity (Z-scores) was identified in the right posterior and anterior insular cortices (3.74, 3.64), dorsal anterior cingulate (3.42), fastigial and dentate cerebellar nuclei (3.02, 3.34). Signal intensity decreased in the left posterior insula (3.28) and ventral anterior cingulate (3.01). Apnea both activates and inhibits elements of a cortical network involved in the generation of sympathetic outflow. These findings identify a neuroanatomical substrate to guide future investigations into central mechanisms contributing to disorders characterized by elevated basal MSNA and exaggerated sympathetic responses to simulated apneas such as sleep apnea and heart failure.     

Odorant-Dependent Generation of Nitric Oxide in Mammalian Olfactory Sensory Neurons

The gaseous signalling molecule nitric oxide (NO) is involved in various physiological processes including regulation of blood pressure, immunocytotoxicity and neurotransmission. In the mammalian olfactory bulb (OB), NO plays a role in the formation of olfactory memory evoked by pheromones as well as conventional odorants. While NO generated by the neuronal isoform of NO synthase (nNOS) regulates neurogenesis in the olfactory epithelium, NO has not been implicated in olfactory signal transduction. We now show the expression and function of the endothelial isoform of NO synthase (eNOS) in mature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) of adult mice. Using NO-sensitive micro electrodes, we show that stimulation liberates NO from isolated wild-type OSNs, but not from OSNs of eNOS deficient mice. Integrated electrophysiological recordings (electro-olfactograms or EOGs) from the olfactory epithelium of these mice show that NO plays a significant role in modulating adaptation. Evidence for the presence of eNOS in mature mammalian OSNs and its involvement in odorant adaptation implicates NO as an important new element involved in olfactory signal transduction. As a diffusible messenger, NO could also have additional functions related to cross adaptation, regeneration, and maintenance of MOE homeostasis.     

Biomarker for Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Expression of SMN in Peripheral Blood of SMA Patients and Healthy Controls

Spinal muscular atrophy is caused by a functional deletion of SMN1 on Chromosome 5, which leads to a progressive loss of motor function in affected patients. SMA patients have at least one copy of a similar gene, SMN2, which produces functional SMN protein, although in reduced quantities. The severity of SMA is variable, partially due to differences in SMN2 copy numbers. Here, we report the results of a biomarker study characterizing SMA patients of varying disease severity. SMN copy number, mRNA and Protein levels in whole blood of patients were measured and compared against a cohort of healthy controls. The results show differential regulation of expression of SMN2 in peripheral blood between patients and healthy subjects.     

Blood Viscosity in Healthy Subjects and Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Viscosity of whole blood and plasma was measured in 258 apparently healthy subjects of both sexes from 5 to 60 years of age, and in 86 patients with unequivocal evidence of chronic coronary heart disease. Children and young healthy females had the lowest viscosity readings. Healthy young and middle-aged males had significantly higher blood viscosity than females. Patients with coronary heart disease had significantly higher blood viscosity values than healthy groups of the same sex. It is suggested that the higher viscosity of whole blood and of plasma is a contributory factor in development of clinical manifestations of coronary heart disease and possibly of the basic vascular lesion itself.