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Reduced Expression of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase in Pulmonary Arteries of Smokers
- Source :
- Scopus-Elsevier
- Publication Year :
- 2001
- Publisher :
- American Thoracic Society, 2001.
-
Abstract
- Cigarette smoking has been associated with alterations in the structure and endothelial function of pulmonary arteries. Nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 are endothelium-derived mediators with opposite effects on vascular tone and cell growth. To investigate whether cigarette smoking could induce changes in the synthesis of these mediators in pulmonary arteries, we compared the expression of both endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and endothelin-1 in the lungs of smokers with that in nonsmokers. Lung tissue samples of 23 smokers and nine nonsmokers were studied. Expression of eNOS and endothelin-1 in pulmonary artery endothelium was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. In protein extracts of lung tissue, the content of eNOS protein was assessed by Western blot analysis and that of endothelin-1 by radioimmunoassay. The immunohistochemical expression of eNOS in arterial endothelium and the eNOS protein content in lung tissue were lower in the smokers than in the nonsmokers. No differences were shown in cell expression and protein content of endothelin-1 between both groups. We conclude that cigarette smoking is associated with reduced expression of eNOS in pulmonary arteries. The diminished synthesis of nitric oxide may contribute to the alterations in the structure and endothelial function of pulmonary vessels in cigarette-smoke-induced respiratory disease.
- Subjects :
- Male
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
medicine.medical_specialty
Pathology
Lung Neoplasms
Endothelium
Blotting, Western
Radioimmunoassay
Pulmonary Artery
Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
Nitric oxide
chemistry.chemical_compound
Enos
Internal medicine
medicine
Humans
Pneumonectomy
Aged
Lung
Endothelin-1
biology
business.industry
Smoking
Middle Aged
biology.organism_classification
Immunohistochemistry
Endothelin 1
Nitric oxide synthase
Endocrinology
medicine.anatomical_structure
Gene Expression Regulation
chemistry
Case-Control Studies
Circulatory system
cardiovascular system
biology.protein
Female
Endothelium, Vascular
Nitric Oxide Synthase
business
Blood vessel
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15354970 and 1073449X
- Volume :
- 164
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....96e06aa02f94a5c5b5e5b3a3be52e00a