Microvascular research
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Microvascular research · Nov 2008
Alveolar macrophage inducible nitric oxide synthase-dependent pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell septic barrier dysfunction.
Inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) from neutrophils and alveolar macrophages (AM) contributes to the pathophysiology of murine septic acute lung injury (ALI). It is not known if AM iNOS has a direct effect on septic pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell (PMVEC) permeability. We hypothesized that AM iNOS mediates PMVEC permeability in vitro under septic conditions through NO and peroxynitrite. 100,000 confluent PMVEC on cell-culture inserts were co-incubated with iNOS+/+ vs. iNOS-/- AM, in various ratios of AM to PMVEC. ⋯ Septic iNOS+/+ AM-dependent trans-PMVEC albumin leak was significantly attenuated by pharmacologic iNOS inhibition (L-NAME and 1400W), and scavenging of either NO (oxyhemoglobin), superoxide (PEG-SOD), or peroxynitrite (FeTPPS). Exogenous NO (DETA-NONOate) had no effect on PMVEC permeability. These data are consistent with a direct role of AM iNOS in septic PMVEC barrier dysfunction, which is likely mediated, in part, through peroxynitrite.