Endothelial NO Synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation regulates coronary diameter during ischemia-reperfusion in association with oxidative stress.

The link between endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation and vascular diameter during ischemia-reperfusion was investigated in the rat heart. After short (<30 min) and long (>45 min) time of ischemia conferred by coronary artery occlusion of the rats, reperfusion caused dilatation and constriction of arterioles, respectively. Partial oxygen pressure (pO2) measurement of the heart by the electrode confirmed the hyper-perfusion and no-reflow phenomena during reperfusion, as well as myocardial ischemia. The vascular diameter was correlated with phosphorylation of Akt and serine 1177 residue of eNOS, and formation of NO-bound guanylate cyclase (GC) by immuoflorescence study. Western blotting confirmed the phosphorylation of eNOS-Ser1177 depending on ischemia time. The constriction during reperfusion after 45 min of ischemia is supposedly caused by the inhibition of Akt-mediated eNOS-Ser1177 phosphorylation, which was suppressed by a PKC inhibitor chelerythrine, or ROS scavengers N-2-mercaptopropionyl glycine (MPG) and 4,5-Dihydroxy-1, 3-benzenedisulfonic acid disodium salt (Tiron). However, an endothelin receptor antagonist BQ123 alleviated the vasoconstriction by increasing NO availability but not eNOS-Ser1177 phosphorylation. Thus, vascular patency is correlated with eNOS-Ser1177 phosphorylation in association with ROS, and PKC during reperfusion. Endothelin inhibits vasodilatation by reducing NO availability during reperfusion.

Hypothermia attenuates delayed cortical cell death and ROS generation following CO inhalation.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is the most popular cause of poisoning. The bilateral basal ganglia lesion characterizes the delayed neuronal cell death (DCD). We demonstrated there were both apoptosis and necrosis in the cortex, basal ganglia and hippocampus in a case of human CO accident. To elucidate the mechanism of DCD after CO inhalation, histological studies on the rat brain were conducted. Rats were ventilated with nitrous oxide (sham group), 10% O(2) (hypoxia group) or 1005 ppm CO (CO group) for 90 min, while the pericranial temperature was controlled at either 32, 37, or 39 degrees C during CO inhalation. After reoxygenation for 30 min, the rats were allowed to recover for 48 h. The ratio of eosinophilic and HNE-positive neurons in the cortex were higher in the CO group than in the hypoxia group at 37 degrees C, while the PaO(2) was much lower in the hypoxia than in the CO group. The damage was alleviated in the hypothermia (32 degrees C) as compared with normothermia, while the hyperthermia (39 degrees C) did not significantly increased it. CO inhalation injures neuron by reactive oxygen species (ROS), independent of hypoxia, as can be concluded from the histological comparison of DCD with HNE immunoreactivity.