HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Felaco, M. Articles by Conti, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Felaco, M. Articles by Conti, P.

Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) Expression and Localization in Healthy and Diabetic Rat Hearts

Address correspondence to Professor Mario Felaco, Department of Biomorphology, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università degli Studi "G. d’Annunzio"- Chieti, Via dei Vestini 31, Chieti 66100, Italy; tel 39 0871 355 5306; fax 39 0871 574 361; e-mail mfelaco{at}unich.it.

Several studies suggest that nitric oxide (NO) production is reduced in diabetes and that the decrease of NO may be related to the pathogenesis of diabetic endothelial damage. NO synthase (NOS) catalyses the conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline in the presence of oxygen and NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d). In this study, we evaluated the expression of endothelial NOS (eNOS) enzyme and its co-enzyme in diabetic rat hearts. Male Wistar rats (n = 20, 4 mo old) and 20 male Bio Breeding Wistar (BB/W) rats of the same age were used; the Wistar rats represent the control non-diabetic rats while the BB/W rats represent the diabetic group. After the hearts were excised, the NADPH-d co-enzyme was visualized by a histochemical method and the endothelial isoform of NOS was localized by immunohistochemistry. In addition, eNOS gene expression was estimated by rt-PCR, and eNOS protein level was detected by Western blot analysis. The eNOS visualization, which involved immunoprecipitation, and the NADPH-d visualization, which involved histochemical staining, were both diminished in endothelial cells of the vascular wall of diabetic hearts, compared to non-diabetic hearts. The eNOS protein level, evaluated by Western blotting, was evident as an intense band in cardiac homogenates of non-diabetic and diabetic rats. The expression of mRNA for eNOS did not differ significantly between the two groups. These findings indicate that, in this rat heart model, diabetes does not influence the overall eNOS protein level or its mRNA level. However, there is a diminution in the deposition of eNOS in cardiac endothelial cells of diabetic rats, versus non-diabetic controls, suggesting a relation between eNOS and the loss of vasodilatory response that is observed in diabetes.

Keywords: eNOS, diabetes, heart, vascular wall, endothelial cell, atherosclerosis

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Lei, A. Venkatakrishnan, S. Yu, and A. Kazlauskas Protein Kinase A-dependent Translocation of Hsp90{alpha} Impairs Endothelial Nitric-oxide Synthase Activity in High Glucose and Diabetes J. Biol. Chem., March 30, 2007; 282(13): 9364 - 9371. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Jesmin, S. Zaedi, S. Maeda, I. Yamaguchi, K. Goto, and T. Miyauchi Effects of a Selective Endothelin A Receptor Antagonist on the Expressions of iNOS and eNOS in the Heart of Early Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats. Experimental Biology and Medicine, June 1, 2006; 231(6): 925 - 931. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Kabat, K. Ponicke, A. Salameh, F.-W. Mohr, and S. Dhein Effect of a {beta}2-Adrenoceptor Stimulation on Hyperglycemia-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., February 1, 2004; 308(2): 564 - 573. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Grilli, M. A. De Lutiis, A. Patruno, L. Speranza, A. Cataldi, L. Centurione, A. A. Taccardi, P. Di Napoli, R. De Caterina, R. Barbacane, et al. Effect of Chronic Hypoxia on Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression in Rat Myocardial Tissue Experimental Biology and Medicine, September 1, 2003; 228(8): 935 - 942. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Grilli, M. A. De Lutiis, A. Patruno, L. Speranza, F. Gizzi, A. A. Taccardi, P. Di Napoli, R. De Caterina, P. Conti, and M. Felaco Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Heme Oxygenase-1 in Rat Heart: Direct Effect of Chronic Exposure to Hypoxia Ann. Clin. Lab. Sci., April 1, 2003; 33(2): 208 - 215. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. T. Huynh and J. A. Tayek Oral Arginine Reduces Systemic Blood Pressure in Type 2 Diabetes: Its Potential Role in Nitric Oxide Generation J. Am. Coll. Nutr., October 1, 2002; 21(5): 422 - 427. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]