• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.169-174
• /
• 2008

This study examined the mechanisms underlying the effects of the vasorelaxation active substance(VAS), dimethyladenosine-5'-L-arabinose, and its partial purification fraction on nitric oxide synthase in improving erectile dysfunction with particular focus on the nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP pathways. Two rat models, 9-month-old SD rats and 11-month-old SD rats, were given VAS(40 mg/kg per day) for 4 days, The aqueous fraction of silworm male pupae extract; semi-purified VAS(100 mg/kg per day) for 10 days, respectively. The NOS activities of the following three enzymes were examined: neuronal NO synthase(nNOS), inducible NOS(iNOS), endothelial NOS(eNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor on endothelial cells(VEGF) and anti-inflammation effect of Tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$. The results showed increases in the nitric oxide synthase activities. Western blotting of the tissue homogenate showed an increase in the nNOS level in the brain and tongue, and an increase in the endothelial NO synthase(eNOS) level in penis. However, there was little association with VEGF production in HUVEC endothelial cells and no relationship with TNF-$\alpha$ which showed low levels.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.551-554
• /
• 2003

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) has been reported in uterus. We examined the expression of the NOS isoforms, constitutive endothelial (eNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS), in bovine uterus by immunohistochemistry. eNOS immunoreactivity was localized predominantly to the endothelial cells that line uterine microvessels and to endometrial glandular epithelial cells, but was barely detectable in endometrial stromal cells. iNOS immunostaining was detected in glandular epithelial and stromal cells in the endometrium and in the endothelial cells of myometrial blood vessels. These findings suggest that both eNOS and iNOS may play important roles in the physiology of the uterus, possibly by generating NO.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.180-187
• /
• 2013

Hypoxia is an integral part of the environment during luteolysis. In this study we examined whether hypoxia could directly stimulate endothelial cells to produce nitric oxide (NO). Endothelial cells were cultured in hypoxic (5% $O_2$) or normoxic (20% $O_2$) conditions and the levels of total NO, inducible NO and endothelial NO was measured. We found that hypoxia but not normoxia upregulated NO production. The increased NO levels correlated with increased inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression whereas expression of endothelial NOS (eNOS) expression remained constant. Addition of the iNOS specific inhibitor 1400W to hypoxic cultures prevented NO production suggesting that hypoxia-induced NO production in endothelial cells was due mainly to upregulation of iNOS. We also found that prostaglandin $F_{2{\alpha}}$ (PGF) production was unaffected by hypoxia suggesting that upregulation of NO was not due to increased synthesis of PGF. In summary, we report that endothelial cells cultured under hypoxic conditions produce NO via the iNOS pathway. This study provides the importance of the relation between the hypoxic environment and the induction of NO by endothelial cells during regression of the corpus luteum in the ovary.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.199-204
• /
• 2012

We evaluated the role of Tat-mediated p66shc transduction on the activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in cultured mouse endothelial cells. To construct the Tat-p66shc fusion protein, human full length p66shc cDNA was fused with the Tat-protein transduction domain. Transduction of TAT-p66shc showed a concentration- and time-dependent manner in endothelial cells. Tat-mediated p66shc transduction showed increased hydrogen peroxide and superoxide production, compared with Tat-p66shc (S/A), serine 36 residue mutant of p66shc. Tat-mediated p66shc transduction decreased endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation in endothelial cells. Furthermore, Tat-mediated p66shc transduction augmented TNF-${\alpha}$-induced p38 MAPK phosphorylation in endothelial cells. These results suggest that Tat-mediated p66shc transduction efficiently inhibited endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation in endothelial cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.64-73
• /
• 2013

Korean red ginseng water extract (KG-WE) has known beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system via inducting nitric oxide (NO) production in endothelium. Endothelial arginase inhibits the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) by substrate depletion, thereby reducing NO bioavailability and contributing to vascular diseases including hypertension, aging, and atherosclerosis. In the present study, we demonstrate that KG-WE inhibits arginase activity and negatively regulates NO production and reactive oxygen species generation in endothelium. This is associated with increased dimerization of eNOS without affecting the protein expression levels of either arginase or eNOS. In a vascular tension assay, when aortas isolated from wild type mice were incubated with KG-WE, NO-dependent enhanced vasorelaxation was observed. Furthermore, KG-WE administered via by drinking water to atherogenic model mice being fed high cholesterol diet improved impaired vascular function. Taken together, these results suggest that KG-WE may exert vasoprotective effects through augmentation of NO signaling by inhibiting arginase. Therefore, KG-WE may be useful in the treatment of vascular diseases derived from endothelial dysfunction, such as atherosclerosis.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.183-186
• /
• 2002

Hypertension is a multifactorial disease. Both genetic and environmental factors have been implicated in its etiology. Since the impairment of nitric oxide (NOS) production plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) gene is supposed to be a candidate gene of hypertension. Our study group investigated the 27 bp insertion/deletion (Ins/Del) polymorphism of ecNOS gene in 99 Korean normotensives and 98 hypertensives, respectively. There was no significant association with any cardiovascular risk factors as well as hypertension in Koreans. The Ins/Del polymorphism of the ecNOS gene indicated the similar allele distribution among ethnic groups studied. Further studies using larger sample size and subject information is required to describe the general picture of the association between the ecNOS gene polymorphic loci and hypertension

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.392-395
• /
• 2008

In an attempt to delineate the direct effect of arsenite-induced endothelial dysfunction on nitric oxide (NO) production, confluent bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) were incubated with arsenite, and endothelial NO synthase expression and NO production were measured. Exposure of arsenite decreased NO production for up to 24h. This decrease was accompanied by decreases in cAMP, protein kinase A (PKA) activity, and furthermore, significant reduction of pCREB. In conclusion, this study is the first to demonstrate that exposure of arsenite decreases NO production by a reduction of pCREB and PKA activity that may be mediated by cAMP, leading to endothelial dysfunction.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.263-270
• /
• 2000

To evaluate the involvement of nitric oxide production on the endothelium-dependent relaxation in diabetes, we have measured vascular and endothelial function and nitric oxide concentration, and the expression level of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Diabetic rats were induced by the injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg i.v.) in the Sprague-Dawley rats. Vasoconstrictor responses to norepinephrine (NE) showed that maximal contraction to norepinephrine $(10^{-5}\;M)$ was significantly enhanced in the aorta of diabetic rats. Endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by acetylcholine was markedly impaired in the aorta of diabetic rats, these responses were little improved by the pretreatment with indomethacin. However, endothelium-independent relaxation induced by nitroprusside was not altered in the diabetic rats. Plasma nitrite and nitrate $(NO_2/_3)$ levels in diabetic rats were significantly lower than in non-diabetic rats. Western blot analysis using a monoclonal antibody against endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) revealed that the protein level was lower in the aorta of diabetic rats than in non-diabetic rats. These data indicate that nitric oxide formation and eNOS expression is reduced in diabetes, and this would, in part, account for the impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation in the aorta of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.441-447
• /
• 2016

Despite the complex vascular effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX), its actions on human pulmonary resistance arteries remain unknown. The present study tested the hypothesis that DEX inhibits vascular tension in human pulmonary arteries through the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mediated production of nitric oxide (NO). Pulmonary artery segments were obtained from 62 patients who underwent lung resection. The direct effects of DEX on human pulmonary artery tension and changes in vascular tension were determined by isometric force measurements recorded on a myograph. Arterial contractions caused by increasing concentrations of serotonin with DEX in the presence or absence of L-NAME (endothelial nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), yohimbine (${\alpha}_2$-adrenoceptor antagonist) and indomethacin (cyclooxygenase inhibitor) as antagonists were also measured. DEX had no effect on endothelium-intact pulmonary arteries, whereas at concentrations of $10^{-8}{\sim}10^{-6}mol/L$, it elicited contractions in endothelium-denuded pulmonary arteries. DEX (0.3, 1, or $3{\times}10^{-9}mmol/L$) inhibited serotonin-induced contraction in arteries with intact endothelium in a dose-dependent manner. L-NAME and yohimbine abolished DEX-induced inhibition, whereas indomethacin had no effect. No inhibitory effect was observed in endothelium-denuded pulmonary arteries. DEX-induced inhibition of vasoconstriction in human pulmonary arteries is mediated by NO production induced by the activation of endothelial ${\alpha}_2$-adrenoceptor and nitric oxide synthase.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.120-126
• /
• 2005

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) plays a critical role in vascular biology and pathophysiology. Its activity is regulated by multiple mechanisms such as calcium/calmodulin, protein-protein interactions, sub-cellular locations and phosphorylation at various sites. Phosphorylation of eNOS-Ser1177 (based on mouse sequence) has been identified as an important mechanism of eNOS activation. However, signaling pathway leading to it phosphorylation remains controversial. The regulation of eNOS-Ser1177 phosphorylation by Src and protein kinase A (PKA) was investigated in the present study using cultured mouse aorta endothelial cells. Expression of a constitutively active Src mutant in the cells enhanced phosphorylation of eNOS and protein kinase B (Akt). The Src-stimulated phosphorylation was not attenuated by the expression of a dominant negative PKA regulatory subunit. Neither activation nor inhibition of PKA activity had any significant effect on tyrosine phosphorylation of activation or inactivation site in Src. Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that Src/Akt pathway and PKA signaling may regulate eNOS phosphorylation independently. The existence of multiple mechanisms for eNOS phosphorylation may guarantee endothelial nitric oxide production in various cellular contexts which is essential for maintenance of vascular health.