Varied effects of tobacco smoke and e-cigarette vapor suggest that nicotine does not affect endothelium-dependent relaxation and nitric oxide signaling.

Chronic smoking causes dysfunction of vascular endothelial cells, evident as a reduction of flow-mediated dilation in smokers, but the role of nicotine is still controversial. Given the increasing use of e-cigarettes and other nicotine products, it appears essential to clarify this issue. We studied extracts from cigarette smoke (CSE) and vapor from e-cigarettes (EVE) and heated tobacco (HTE) for their effects on vascular relaxation, endothelial nitric oxide signaling, and the activity of soluble guanylyl cyclase. The average nicotine concentrations of CSE, EVE, and HTE were 164, 800, and 85 µM, respectively. At a dilution of 1:3, CSE almost entirely inhibited the relaxation of rat aortas and porcine coronary arteries to acetylcholine and bradykinin, respectively, while undiluted EVE, with a 15-fold higher nicotine concentration, had no significant effect. With about 50% inhibition at 1:2 dilution, the effect of HTE was between CSE and EVE. Neither extract affected endothelium-independent relaxation to an NO donor. At the dilutions tested, CSE was not toxic to cultured endothelial cells but, in contrast to EVE, impaired NO signaling and inhibited NO stimulation of soluble guanylyl cyclase. Our results demonstrate that nicotine does not mediate the impaired endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation caused by smoking.

Adenosine kinase (ADK) inhibition with ABT-702 induces ADK protein degradation and a distinct form of sustained cardioprotection.

Pharmacological inhibition of adenosine kinase (ADK), the major route of myocardial adenosine metabolism, can elicit acute cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) by increasing adenosine signaling. Here, we identified a novel, extended effect of the ADK inhibitor, ABT-702, on cardiac ADK protein longevity and investigated its impact on sustained adenosinergic cardioprotection. We found that ABT-702 treatment significantly reduced cardiac ADK protein content in mice 24-72 h after administration (IP or oral). ABT-702 did not alter ADK mRNA levels, but strongly diminished (ADK-L) isoform protein content through a proteasome-dependent mechanism. Langendorff perfusion experiments revealed that hearts from ABT-702-treated mice maintain higher adenosine release long after ABT-702 tissue elimination, accompanied by increased basal coronary flow (CF) and robust tolerance to IR. Sustained cardioprotection by ABT-702 did not involve increased nitric oxide synthase expression, but was completely dependent upon increased adenosine release in the delayed phase (24 h), as indicated by the loss of cardioprotection and CF increase upon perfusion of adenosine deaminase or adenosine receptor antagonist, 8-phenyltheophylline. Importantly, blocking adenosine receptor activity with theophylline during ABT-702 administration prevented ADK degradation, preserved late cardiac ADK activity, diminished CF increase and abolished delayed cardioprotection, indicating that early adenosine receptor signaling induces late ADK degradation to elicit sustained adenosine release. Together, these results indicate that ABT-702 induces a distinct form of delayed cardioprotection mediated by adenosine receptor-dependent, proteasomal degradation of cardiac ADK and enhanced adenosine signaling in the late phase. These findings suggest ADK protein stability may be pharmacologically targeted to achieve sustained adenosinergic cardioprotection.

Effects of flavoring compounds used in electronic cigarette refill liquids on endothelial and vascular function.

Electronic cigarette refill liquids are commercially provided with a wide variety of flavoring agents. A recent study suggested that several common flavors may scavenge nitric oxide (NO) and cause endothelial dysfunction. It was the aim of the present study to investigate the effects of these flavors on NO/cyclic GMP-mediated signaling and vascular relaxation. We tested the flavoring agents for effects on Ca2+-induced cGMP accumulation and NO synthase activation in cultured endothelial cells. NO scavenging was studied with NO-activated soluble guanylate cyclase and as NO release from a NO donor, measured with a NO electrode. Blood vessel function was studied with precontracted rat aortic rings in the absence and presence of acetylcholine or a NO donor. Cinnamaldehyde inhibited Ca2+-stimulated endothelial cGMP accumulation and NO synthase activation at ≥0.3 mM. Cinnamaldehyde and diacetyl inhibited NO-activated soluble guanylate cyclase with IC50 values of 0.56 (0.54-0.58) and 0.29 (0.24-0.36) mM, respectively, and caused moderate NO scavenging at 1 mM that was not mediated by superoxide anions. The other compounds did not scavenge NO at 1 mM. None of the flavorings interfered with acetylcholine-induced vascular relaxation, but they caused relaxation of pre-contracted aortas. The most potent compounds were eugenol and cinnamaldehyde with EC50 values of ~0.5 mM. Since the flavors did not affect endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation, NO scavenging by cinnamaldehyde and diacetyl does not result in impaired blood vessel function. Although not studied in vivo, the low potency of the compounds renders it unlikely that the observed effects are relevant to humans inhaling flavored vapor from electronic cigarettes.

Sustained Formation of Nitroglycerin-Derived Nitric Oxide by Aldehyde Dehydrogenase-2 in Vascular Smooth Muscle without Added Reductants: Implications for the Development of Nitrate Tolerance.

According to current views, oxidation of aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) during glyceryltrinitrate (GTN) biotransformation is essentially involved in vascular nitrate tolerance and explains the dependence of this reaction on added thiols. Using a novel fluorescent intracellular nitric oxide (NO) probe expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), we observed ALDH2-catalyzed formation of NO from GTN in the presence of exogenously added dithiothreitol (DTT), whereas only a short burst of NO, corresponding to a single turnover of ALDH2, occurred in the absence of DTT. This short burst of NO associated with oxidation of the reactive C302 residue in the active site was followed by formation of low-nanomolar NO, even without added DTT, indicating slow recovery of ALDH2 activity by an endogenous reductant. In addition to the thiol-reversible oxidation of ALDH2, thiol-refractive inactivation was observed, particularly under high-turnover conditions. Organ bath experiments with rat aortas showed that relaxation by GTN lasted longer than that caused by the NO donor diethylamine/NONOate, in line with the long-lasting nanomolar NO generation from GTN observed in VSMCs. Our results suggest that an endogenous reductant with low efficiency allows sustained generation of GTN-derived NO in the low-nanomolar range that is sufficient for vascular relaxation. On a longer time scale, mechanism-based, thiol-refractive irreversible inactivation of ALDH2, and possibly depletion of the endogenous reductant, will render blood vessels tolerant to GTN. Accordingly, full reactivation of oxidized ALDH2 may not occur in vivo and may not be necessary to explain GTN-induced vasodilation.

Selective Irreversible Inhibition of Neuronal and Inducible Nitric-oxide Synthase in the Combined Presence of Hydrogen Sulfide and Nitric Oxide.

Citrulline formation by both human neuronal nitric-oxide synthase (nNOS) and mouse macrophage inducible NOS was inhibited by the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donor Na2S with IC50 values of ∼2.4·10(-5) and ∼7.9·10(-5) m, respectively, whereas human endothelial NOS was hardly affected at all. Inhibition of nNOS was not affected by the concentrations of l-arginine (Arg), NADPH, FAD, FMN, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), and calmodulin, indicating that H2S does not interfere with substrate or cofactor binding. The IC50 decreased to ∼1.5·10(-5) m at pH 6.0 and increased to ∼8.3·10(-5) m at pH 8.0. Preincubation of concentrated nNOS with H2S under turnover conditions decreased activity after dilution by ∼70%, suggesting irreversible inhibition. However, when calmodulin was omitted during preincubation, activity was not affected, suggesting that irreversible inhibition requires both H2S and NO. Likewise, NADPH oxidation was inhibited with an IC50 of ∼1.9·10(-5) m in the presence of Arg and BH4 but exhibited much higher IC50 values (∼1.0-6.1·10(-4) m) when Arg and/or BH4 was omitted. Moreover, the relatively weak inhibition of nNOS by Na2S in the absence of Arg and/or BH4 was markedly potentiated by the NO donor 1-(hydroxy-NNO-azoxy)-l-proline, disodium salt (IC50 ∼ 1.3-2.0·10(-5) m). These results suggest that nNOS and inducible NOS but not endothelial NOS are irreversibly inhibited by H2S/NO at modest concentrations of H2S in a reaction that may allow feedback inhibition of NO production under conditions of excessive NO/H2S formation.

Cardiac oxidative stress in a mouse model of neutral lipid storage disease.

Cardiac oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Systemic deletion of the gene encoding adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), the enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step of triglyceride lipolysis, results in a phenotype characterized by severe steatotic cardiac dysfunction. The objective of the present study was to investigate a potential role of oxidative stress in cardiac ATGL deficiency. Hearts of mice with global ATGL knockout were compared to those of mice with cardiomyocyte-restricted overexpression of ATGL and to those of wildtype littermates. Our results demonstrate that oxidative stress, measured as lucigenin chemiluminescence, was increased ~6-fold in ATGL-deficient hearts. In parallel, cytosolic NADPH oxidase subunits p67phox and p47phox were upregulated 4-5-fold at the protein level. Moreover, a prominent upregulation of different inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor α, monocyte chemotactant protein-1, interleukin 6, and galectin-3) was observed in those hearts. Both the oxidative and inflammatory responses were abolished upon cardiomyocyte-restricted overexpression of ATGL. Investigating the effect of oxidative and inflammatory stress on nitric oxide/cGMP signal transduction we observed a ~2.5-fold upregulation of soluble guanylate cyclase activity and a ~2-fold increase in cardiac tetrahydrobiopterin levels. Systemic treatment of ATGL-deficient mice with the superoxide dismutase mimetic Mn(III)tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin did not ameliorate but rather aggravated cardiac oxidative stress. Our data suggest that oxidative and inflammatory stress seems involved in lipotoxic heart disease. Upregulation of soluble guanylate cyclase and cardiac tetrahydrobiopterin might be regarded as counterregulatory mechanisms in cardiac ATGL deficiency.

Efficient nitrosation of glutathione by nitric oxide.

Nitrosothiols are increasingly regarded as important participants in a range of physiological processes, yet little is known about their biological generation. Nitrosothiols can be formed from the corresponding thiols by nitric oxide in a reaction that requires the presence of oxygen and is mediated by reactive intermediates (NO2 or N2O3) formed in the course of NO autoxidation. Because the autoxidation of NO is second order in NO, it is extremely slow at submicromolar NO concentrations, casting doubt on its physiological relevance. In this paper we present evidence that at submicromolar NO concentrations the aerobic nitrosation of glutathione does not involve NO autoxidation but a reaction that is first order in NO. We show that this reaction produces nitrosoglutathione efficiently in a reaction that is strongly stimulated by physiological concentrations of Mg(2+). These observations suggest that direct aerobic nitrosation may represent a physiologically relevant pathway of nitrosothiol formation.

S-nitrosation of glutathione by nitric oxide, peroxynitrite, and (*)NO/O(2)(*-).

To elucidate potential mechanisms of S-nitrosothiol formation in vivo, we studied nitrosation of GSH and albumin by nitric oxide ((*)NO), peroxynitrite, and (*)NO/O(2)(*)(-). In the presence of O(2), (*)NO yielded 20% of S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) at pH 7.5. Ascorbate and the spin trap 4-hydroxy-[2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-piperidine-1-oxyl] (TEMPOL) inhibited GSNO formation by 67%. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy with 5-diethoxyphosphoryl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DEPMPO) demonstrated intermediate formation of glutathionyl radicals, suggesting that GSNO formation by (*)NO/O(2) is predominantly mediated by (*)NO(2). Peroxynitrite-triggered GSNO formation (0.06% yield) was stimulated 10- and 2-fold by ascorbate and TEMPOL, respectively. Co-generation of (*)NO and O(2)(*)(-) at equal fluxes yielded less GSNO than (*)NO alone, but was 100-fold more efficient (8% yield) than peroxynitrite. Moreover, in contrast to the reaction of peroxynitrite, GSNO formation by (*)NO/O(2)(*)(-) was inhibited by ascorbate. Similar results were obtained with albumin instead of GSH. We propose that sulfhydryl compounds react with O(2)(*)(-) to initiate a chain reaction that forms radical intermediates which combine with (*)NO to yield GSNO. In RAW 264.7 macrophages, S-nitrosothiol formation by (*)NO/O(2) and (*)NO/O(2)(*)(-) occurred with relative efficiencies comparable to those in solution. Our results indicate that concerted generation of (*)NO and O(2)(*)(-) may essentially contribute to nitrosative stress in inflammatory diseases.