NO Synthases

ACE inhibitors inhibit the degradation of bradykinin and potentiate the effects of bradykinin by about 50-100-fold. The prevention of bradykinin degradation by ACE inhibitors is particularly protective for the heart. Increased bradykinin levels prevent postischemic reperfusion arrhythmia, delays manifestations of cardiac ischemia, prevents platelet aggregation, and probably also reduces the degree of arteriosclerosis and the development of cardiac hypertrophy. The role of bradykinin and bradykinin-induced NO release for the improvement of cardiac functions by converting enzyme inhibitors has been demonstrated convincingly with use of a specific bradykinin receptor antagonist and inhibitors of NO-synthase. 

NO-sensitive GC represents the most important effector enzyme for the signalling molecule NO, which is synthesised by NO synthases in a Ca2+-dependent manner. NO-sensitive GC contains a prosthetic heme group, acting as the acceptor site for NO. Formation of the NO-heme complex leads to a conformational change, resulting in an increase of up to 200-fold in catalytic activity of the enzyme [1]. The organic nitrates (see below) commonly used in the therapy of coronary heart disease exert their effects via the stimulation of this enzyme. 

Heme (C34H3204N4Fe) represents an iron-porphyrin complex that has a protoporphyrin nucleus. Many important proteins contain heme as a prosthetic group. Hemoglobin is the quantitatively most important hemoprotein. Others are cytochromes (present in the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum), catalase and peroxidase (that react with hydrogen peroxide), soluble guanylyl cyclase (that converts guanosine triphosphate, GTP, to the signaling molecule 3, 5 -cyclic GMP) and NO synthases. 

L-NAME (N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester), like L-NMMA, is a structural analogue of L-arginine and competes with L-arginine for NO-synthase, which uses L-arginine as a substrate for the formation of NO. L-NMMA and L-NAME are very effective NO-synthesis inhibitors, both in vitro and in vivo. 

NADPH-diaphorase activity is the ability of an enzyme to reduce soluble tetrazolium salts to an insoluble, visible formazan. This activity is being used by many laboratories to localize NO synthase histochemically. 

Three isoforms of NO synthesizing enzymes ( nitric oxide synthase (NOS)) were isolated, purified, and cloned neuronal NO synthase ( neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) or isoform (I), immunological or inducible NOS ( inducible (immunological) nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) or isoform (II), and endothelial NOS ( endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) or isoform... 

NO synthases (NOS, L-arginine, NADPH oxygen oxi-doreductases, nitric oxide forming EC 1.14.13.39) represent a family of enzymes that catalyze the formation of nitric oxide (NO) from the amino acid L-arginine. In mammals, three isoforms of NOS have been identified. They are termed neuronal NOS (nNOS, NOS I, NOS1), inducible NOS (iNOS, NOS H, NOS2), and endothelial... 

Neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) is constitutively expressed in neurons of the brain. Its activity is regulated by Ca2+ and calmodulin. Half-saturating L-arginine concentrations are around 2 pM. cDNAs encoding nNOS have been cloned from rat and human brain. The open reading frame of human nNOS consists of 4299 bp, corresponding to 1433 aa. This predicts a protein of 160 kDa, which is in accordance with the molecular mass of the purified protein. 

Inducible NO synthase (iNOS) is usually not constitutively expressed, but can be induced in macrophages by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), cytokines and other-agents. Although primarily identified in macrophages, expression of the enzyme can be stimulated in virtually any cell or tissue, provided the appropriate inducing agents have been identified (for review see [1] and [3]). 

Endothelial NO Synthase (eNOS) expression is relatively specific for endothelial cells. However, the isozyme has also been detected in certain neurons of the brain, in syncytiotrophoblasts of human placenta and in LLC-PKi kidney tubular epithelial cells. 

Forstermann U (2006) Janus-faced role of endothelial NO synthase in vascular disease - Uncoupling of NADPH oxidation from NO synthesis and its pharmacological reversal. Biol Chem 387 1521-1533... 

Forstermann U, Miinzel T (2006) Endothelial NO synthase in vascular disease — from marvel to menace. Circulation 113 1708-1714... 

Quite unexpectedly, EDRF was found to be the gas nitric oxide (NO). NO is formed by the action of the enzyme NO synthase, which is cytosolic. The endothe-hal and neuronal forms of NO synthase are activated by Ca + (Table 49-8). The substrate is arginine, and the products are citmUine and NO ... 

NO synthase catalyzes a five-electron oxidation of an amidine nitrogen of arginine. L-Hydroxyarginine is an intermediate that remains tighdy bound to the en-... 

Since the discovery of the role of NO as a vasodilator, there has been intense experimental interest in this substance. It has turned out to have a variety of physiologic roles, involving virtually every tissue of the body (Table 49—9). Three major isoforms of NO synthase have been identified, each of which has been cloned, and the chromosomal locations of their genes in hu-... 

Table 49-8. Summary of the nomenclature of the NO synthases and of the effects of knockout of their genes in mice. ...

Abromson-Leeman S, Bronson R, Luo Y, Berman M, Leeman R, Leeman J, Dorf M (2004) T-ceU properties determine disease site, clinical presentation, and cellular pathology of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Am J Pathol 165 1519-1533 Adamson DC, Wildemann B, Sasaki M, Glass JD, McArthur JC, Christov VI, Dawson TM, Dawson VL (1996) Immunologic NO synthase elevation in severe AIDS dementia and induction by HIV-1 gp41. Science 274 1917-1921... 

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