V. M. Manoj

Role of NOS2 in pulmonary injury and repair in response to bleomycin

Nitric oxide (NO) is derived from multiple isoforms of the Nitric Oxide Synthases (NOSs) within the lung for a variety of functions; however, NOS2-derived nitrogen oxides seem to play an important role in inflammatory regulation. In this study, we investigate the role of NOS2 in pulmonary inflammation/fibrosis in response to intratracheal bleomycin instillation (ITB) and to determine if these effects are related to macrophage phenotype. Systemic NOS2 inhibition was achieved by administration of 1400W, a specific and potent NOS2 inhibitor, via osmotic pump starting six days prior to ITB. 1400W administration attenuated lung inflammation, decreased chemotactic activity of the broncheoalveolar lavage (BAL), and reduced BAL cell count and nitrogen oxide production. S-nitrosylated SP-D (SNO-SP-D), which has a pro-inflammatory function, was formed in response to ITB; but this formation, as well as structural disruption of SP-D, was inhibited by 1400W. mRNA levels of IL-1β, CCL2 and Ptgs2 were decreased by 1400W treatment. In contrast, expression of genes associated with alternate macrophage activation and fibrosis Fizz1, TGF-β and Ym-1 was not changed by 1400W. Similar to the effects of 1400W, NOS2-/- mice displayed an attenuated inflammatory response to ITB (day 3 and day 8 post-instillation). The DNA-binding activity of NF-κB was attenuated in NOS2-/- mice; in addition, expression of alternate activation genes (Fizz1, Ym-1, Gal3, Arg1) was increased. This shift towards an increase in alternate activation was confirmed by western blot for Fizz-1 and Gal-3 that show persistent up-regulation 15 days after ITB. In contrast arginase, which is increased in expression at 8 days post ITB in NOS2-/-, resolves by day 15. These data suggest that NOS2, while critical to the development of the acute inflammatory response to injury, is also necessary to control the late phase response to ITB.

Reaction of sulphate radical anion (SO.4-) with hydroxy-and methyl-substituted pyrimidines: a pulse radiolysis study

Reactions of sulphate radical anion (SO·4-) with 4,6-dihydroxy-2-methyl pyrimidine (DHMP), 2,4-dimethyl-6-hydroxy pyrimidine (DMHP), 6-methyl uracil (MU) and 5,6-dimethyl uracil (DMU) have been studied by pulse radiolysis at pH 3 and at pH 10. The transient intermediate spectra were compared with those from the reaction of hydroxyl radical (·OH). It is proposed that SO·4- produces radical cations of these pyrimidines in the initial stage. These radical cations are short-lived except in the case of DMHP where a relatively longer lived radical cation is proposed to be formed. When there is a hydrogen atom attached to the N(1) or N(3) position, a deprotonation from these sites is highly favored. When there is no hydrogen attached to these sites, deprotonation from a substituted methyl group is favored. At acidic pH, deprotonation from nitrogen is observed for DHMP, MU and DMU. At basic pH, the radical cation reacts with OH- leading to the formation of OH adducts.

Reaction of oxide radical ion (O.-) with substituted pyrimidines

Pulse radiolysis technique has been used to investigate the reaction of oxide radical ion (O.–) with 4,6-dihydroxy-2-methyl pyrimidine (DHMP), 2,4-dimethyl-6-hydroxy pyrimidine (DMHP), 5,6-dimethyl uracil (DMU) and 6-methyl uracil (MU) in strongly alkaline medium. The second-order rate constants for the reaction of O.– with these compounds are in the range 2-5 × 108 dm3 mol–1 s–1. The transient absorption spectra obtained with DHMP have two maxima at 290 and 370 nm and with DMHP have maxima at 310 and 470 nm. The transient spectrum from DMU is characterized by its absorption maxima at 310 and 520 nm and that of MU by its single maximum at 425 nm. The intermediate species were found to react with N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) with high G(TMPD.+) values ranged between 3.9 × 10–7 molJ–1 and 4.8 × 10–7 molJ–1. These radicals undergo decay by second-order kinetics (2k/∈ = 1.0-1.7 × 106 s–1). The reaction of O.– with the selected pyrimidines is proposed to proceed through a hydrogen abstraction from the methyl group forming allyl type radicals. These are mainly oxidizing radicals and hence readily undergo electron transfer reactions with TMPD.

Reaction of hydroxyl radicals with S-nitrosothiols: determination of rate constants and end product analysis

The reaction of the hydroxyl radical (.OH) with S-nitroso derivatives of cysteine, acetylcysteine and glutathione was studied at neutral and acidic pH. The second-order rate constants were determined by a competition kinetic method using a deoxyribose-thiobarbituric acid assay. The rate constants were diffusion controlled and were 2.27, 1.94 and 1.46 x 10(10) dm3 mol-1 s-1, for S-nitrosocysteine, S-nitrosoacetylcysteine and S-nitrosoglutathione respectively, at neutral pH. The major products of the degradation induced by .OH were found to be the corresponding disulfide (-S-S-) and nitrite (NO2-) at neutral pH as well as at pH 3. Simultaneous proton formation has also been observed. A plausible mechanism based on the formation of an intermediate thiol radical (RS.), as a result of electron transfer from the S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs) to .OH, is proposed for the formation of disulfide and nitrite at both pHs. The high rate constant values and the degradation of these compounds demonstrate the potential role of .OH in RSNO metabolism under physiological conditions.

Hydroxyl radical induced decomposition of S-nitrosoglutathione

S-Nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) undergoes decomposition induced by hydroxyl radicals (·OH) in aqueous medium at neutral pH forming nitrite (NO2−) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) and therefore it is proposed that ·OH could interfere in the GSNO metabolism.

Reactions of hydroxyl radical (·OH) and oxide radical anion (O·−) with 2-aminopurine in aqueous medium

Pulse radiolysis has been used to investigate the reaction of hydroxyl radical (·OH) and oxide radical anion (O·−) with 2-aminopurine (2AP), a fluorescent analogue of adenine, in aqueous medium. The second-order rate constant for the reaction of ·OH with 2AP was determined to be 3 × 109 dm3 mol−1s−1 and for the reaction of O·− it was 7.1 × 108 dm3 mol−1s−1. The transient absorption spectrum obtained in the reaction of ·OH at pH 7 has absorption maxima at 370 and 470 nm. The spectrum undergoes a time-dependent transformation at higher time-scale. The intermediate species was found to react with N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD). The yield of TMPD·+ was calculated in terms of G(TMPD·+) to be 3.3 × 10−7 mol J−1 at pH 7. The ·OH reactions were also carried out at pH 10 and the transient absorption spectra have λmax at 400 and 480 nm. The transient spectra obtained in the reaction of O·− at pH ≈14 have maxima at 400 and 480 nm. The transient intermediate species at pH 7 are assigned to the formation of 2AP-4-OH· (54%), 2AP-5-OH· (7%) and 2AP-8-OH· (39%) based on the spectral evidence and TMPD·+ build-up. Both 2AP-4-OH· and 2AP-5-OH· undergo OH− elimination to form a radical cation. At higher pH (pH 10), the dehydration reaction of these OH-adducts leads to a N-centered radical (2AP-N(9)·, 71%). Formation of 2AP-8-OH· (29%) is also proposed at this pH. In the reaction of O·− with 2AP, it is proposed that a similar nitrogen centered 2AP-N(9)· radical is formed by an electron-transfer reaction at N(9).