NO synthase uncoupling in the kidney of Dahl S rats: role of dihydrobiopterin. Hypertension 2006 Dec;48(6):1066-71
Date
10/25/2006Pubmed ID
17060509DOI
10.1161/01.HYP.0000248751.11383.7cScopus ID
2-s2.0-33751104204 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 47 CitationsAbstract
NO synthase (NOS) can paradoxically contribute to the production of reactive oxygen species when l-arginine or the cofactor R-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)) becomes limited. The present study examined whether NOS contributes to superoxide production in kidneys of hypertensive Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats compared with an inbred consomic control strain (SS-13(BN)) and tested the hypothesis that elevated dihydrobiopterin (BH(2)) levels are importantly involved in this process. This was assessed by determining the effects of l-nitroarginine methyl ester (l-NAME) inhibition of NOS on superoxide production and by comparing tissue concentrations of BH(4) and BH(2). A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method was applied for direct measurements of BH(4) and BH(2) using (S)-tetrahydrobiopterin as an internal standard. Superoxide concentrations were measured in vivo from medullary microdialysis fluid using dihydroethidine and in vitro using lucigenin. The results indicate the following: (1) that superoxide levels were elevated in the outer medulla of SS rats fed a 4% salt diet and could be inhibited by l-NAME. In contrast, l-NAME resulted in elevated superoxide production in consomic SS-13(BN) rats because of higher NOS activity; (2) SS rats showed a reduced ratio of BH(4)/BH(2) in the outer medulla that was driven by increased concentrations of BH(2); and (3) lower superoxide dismutase and catalase activities contributed to elevated reactive oxygen species in SS samples. Based on the shift of BH(4) to BH(2) and the observation of l-NAME inhibitable superoxide production, we conclude that NOS uncoupling occurs in the renal medulla of hypertensive SS rats fed a high-salt diet.
Author List
Taylor NE, Maier KG, Roman RJ, Cowley AW JrAuthor
Allen W. Cowley Jr PhD Professor in the Physiology department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsDisease Models, Animal
Enzyme Inhibitors
Hypertension
Kidney
Kidney Medulla
Male
NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester
Oxidative Stress
Rats
Rats, Inbred Dahl
Superoxides
