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Cardiovascular Research 2000 45(3):671-678; doi:10.1016/S0008-6363(99)00347-8
© 2000 by European Society of Cardiology
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Copyright © 2000, European Society of Cardiology

Inhibition of endogenous nitric oxide synthase potentiates ischemia–reperfusion-induced myocardial apoptosis via a caspase-3 dependent pathway

Ulrike Weilanda, Judith Haendelera, Christian Ihlingb, Udo Albusc, Wolfgang Scholzc, Hartmut Ruettenc, Andreas M. Zeihera and Stefanie Dimmelera,*

aMolecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine IV, University of Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt/M, Germany
bInstitut of Pathologie, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
cHoechst AG, Cardiovascular Research H821, Frankfurt/M, Germany

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +49-69-6301-7440; fax: +49-69-6301-7113 Dimmeler{at}em.uni-frankfurt.de

Objective: Apoptosis of cardiomyocytes may contribute to ischemia–reperfusion injury. The role of nitric oxide (NO) in apoptosis is controversial. Therefore, we investigated the effect of NO synthase inhibition on apoptosis of cardiomyocytes during ischemia and reperfusion and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Methods and results: Isolated perfused rat hearts (n=6/group) were subjected to ischemia (30 min) and reperfusion (30 min) in the presence or absence of the NO synthase inhibitor NG-mono-methyl-L-arginine. Reperfusion induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis as assessed by immunohistochemistry (TUNEL-staining) and the demonstration of the typical DNA laddering. Apoptosis during reperfusion was associated with the cleavage of caspase-3, the final down-stream executioner caspase, whereas the protein levels of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and the pro-apoptotic protein Bax were unchanged. Inhibition of the NO synthase drastically increased ischemia and reperfusion-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. Moreover, the NO synthase inhibitor enhanced the activation of caspase-3, suggesting that NO interferes with the activation of caspases in ischemia–reperfusion. Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrate that inhibition of endogenous NO synthesis during ischemia and reperfusion leads to an enhanced induction of apoptosis, suggesting that the endogenous NO synthesis protects against apoptotic cell death. Inhibition of NO synthesis thereby activates the caspase cascade, whereas the Bcl-2/Bax protein levels remained unchanged.

KEYWORDS Apoptosis; Ischemia; Nitric oxide; Reperfusion


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