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Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 1995;15:52-57

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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 1995;15:52-57.)
© 1995 American Heart Association, Inc.


Articles

Lack of Role for Nitric Oxide (NO) in the Selective Destabilization of Endothelial NO Synthase mRNA by Tumor Necrosis Factor–{alpha}

Presented in part at the 66th Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association, Atlanta, Ga, November 8-11, 1993, and published in Circulation. 1993;88(suppl I, pt 2): I-273. Abstract.

Farida Mohamed; Juan Carlos Monge; Ann Gordon; Peter Cernacek; Dominique Blais; Duncan J. Stewart

From the McGill Vascular Biology Group, Divisions of Cardiology (J.C.M., D.J.S.) and Medical Biochemistry (P.C.), Department of Medicine, Royal Victoria Hospital, and McGill University (F.M., A.G., D.B.), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Correspondence to Dr Duncan J. Stewart, Royal Victoria Hospital, 687 Pine Ave W, Rm M4.76, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1A1.


*    Abstract
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*Abstract
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Abstract The constitutive expression of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (cNOS) is essential for the physiological regulation of vascular tone and structure. The mechanism of downregulation of steady state cNOS mRNA in human umbilical vein endothelial cells exposed to tumor necrosis factor–{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) was investigated by using Northern blot analysis of total cellular RNA. TNF-{alpha} produced a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cNOS mRNA expression that was near maximal at 10 U/mL and 6 hours of exposure, respectively. In contrast, steady state expression of endothelin-1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor–1 (PAI-1) mRNA was upregulated by TNF-{alpha}. The pharmacological generation of NO using sodium nitroprusside (10 µmol/L) and S-nitroso-acetylpenicillamine (100 to 400 µmol/L) had no effect on cNOS mRNA levels, and TNF-{alpha}–induced downregulation of cNOS was not prevented by coincubation with the inhibitors of NO synthesis N{omega}-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (1 mmol/L) and NG-monomethyl L-arginine (10 mmol/L). Under control conditions, cNOS and PAI-1 mRNA were stable after treatment with actinomycin D for periods greater than 24 hours, whereas endothelin-1 message was rapidly degraded (half-life, <1 hour). Pretreatment with TNF-{alpha} (30 U/mL) selectively reduced the half-life of cNOS mRNA to less than 12 hours without altering the stability of PAI-1 message. TNF-{alpha}–induced destabilization of cNOS mRNA could be partially prevented by coincubation with cycloheximide (1 µmol/L) but was not reproduced by addition of sodium nitroprusside. These findings indicate that TNF-{alpha} downregulation of cNOS expression in human endothelial cells results predominantly from the selective destabilization of the mRNA by a mechanism involving the synthesis of new protein. However, NO production by a TNF-{alpha}–inducible isoform of NOS did not appear to contribute either to the decrease in steady state cNOS mRNA levels or the shortening of its half-life.


Key Words: cytokines • endothelin-1 • plasminogen activator inhibitor–1 • endothelium-derived relaxing factor • regulation of gene expression


*    Introduction
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*Introduction
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Endothelial cells (ECs) express a "constitutive" isoform of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (cNOS) that catalyzes the oxidation of L-arginine to produce citrulline and NO.1 The activity of cNOS is tightly regulated by a calmodulin-dependent mechanism.2 3 A wide variety of receptor agonists, including acetylcholine, bradykinin, and serotonin, have the ability to elevate intracellular calcium concentrations, thereby increasing NO release from ECs.4 As a result of intimal shear stress associated with blood flow in the vascular lumen, high basal levels of NO production are also maintained under physiological conditions.5 NO acts by stimulating soluble guanylate cyclase and the resulting increases in cGMP concentration mediate its many important physiological actions,4 5 including vasodilation, prevention of smooth muscle cell proliferation, and inhibition of platelet and monocyte adhesion.1

Loss of endothelium-derived NO might therefore lead to abnormalities in smooth muscle tone or growth and allow adhesion of blood elements to the vessel wall.6 Recently, several groups have demonstrated2 7 8 a potent downregulation of steady state cNOS mRNA expression in ECs exposed to cytokines, in particular tumor necrosis factor–{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}), by a mechanism involving destabilization of cNOS mRNA.8 Thus, decreased expression of endothelial cNOS could contribute to the development of vascular disorders, such as atherosclerosis, in which increased production of TNF-{alpha}9 and impaired endothelium-dependent dilator responses have been reported.6 10

However, cytokines may also cause the expression of an inducible NOS isoform (iNOS)11 12 and increased NO production. Although identified in macrophages,13 14 15 it is now recognized that many cell types, including some EC lines,16 17 18 may have the potential to express iNOS. The functional relevance of iNOS expression in endothelium is unknown. Unlike the endothelial cNOS, the inducible enzyme is not regulated by calcium; rather, it produces large amounts of NO in a continuous manner. Such high levels of NO generation may have direct effects on cellular function, eg, by promoting ADP ribosylation,12 and by inhibiting mitochondrial respiration.19 NO has also been shown to alter gene expression, downregulating monocyte chemoattractant protein–120 and increasing levels of transferrin receptor mRNA.21 Interestingly, this latter effect was mediated by an action of NO on the stability of the mRNA.21 However, whether excessive endothelial production of NO by iNOS might contribute directly to the cytokine-induced downregulation in cNOS expression, perhaps also mediated by an effect on mRNA stability, is not known.

Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the mechanism of TNF-{alpha}–induced decreases in cNOS expression in human ECs. We now report that TNF-{alpha} reduced the steady state levels of cNOS mRNA, in large part due to a posttranscriptional mechanism involving destabilization of the mRNA and requiring de novo protein synthesis. However, this process was independent of endogenous NO production and was not reproduced by the pharmacological generation of exogenous NO.


*    Methods
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*Methods
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EC Culture
Human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) or isolated from fresh umbilical veins by 0.2% collagenase digestion.22 HUVECs were grown to confluence in T75 flasks (Fisher Scientific) equilibrated with 95% air and 5% CO2 at 37°C in Ham's/F12 medium (GIBCO) and supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, penicillin (500 U/mL), streptomycin (50 µg/mL), and heparin (100 µg/mL) (all from GIBCO) and EC growth factor (20 µg/mL, Boehringer Mannheim). Confluent ECs between the fifth and 18th passages were washed with Hank's buffered salt solution and preincubated in 10 mL medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, 500 U/mL penicillin, and 50 µg/mL streptomycin for 2 hours. For experiments on steady state mRNA expression, fresh medium was added containing the following agents singly or in combination: human recombinant TNF-{alpha} (Sigma Chemical Co), N{omega}-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 1 mmol/L, Sigma), NG-monomethyl L-arginine (L-NMMA, 10 mmol/L, Sigma), dexamethasone (1µmol/L, Sigma), sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 10 µmol/L, Roche Pharmaceuticals), and S-nitroso-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP, Biomol). Unless otherwise specified, cells were incubated under the above conditions for 24 hours. For experiments on the stability of mRNA, actinomycin D (Sigma) was added to the cells after a 3-hour preincubation period in the presence or absence of TNF-{alpha} (30 U/mL), cycloheximide (1 µmol/L), or SNP (10 µmol/L) singly or in combination.

RNA Extraction and Northern Blot Analysis
RNA was isolated by a modified guanidinium thiocyanate–phenol-chloroform method using RNAzol B (Tel-Test) according to the manufacturer's recommendations. For the Northern blots, total cellular RNA (20 µg) samples were separated by electrophoresis on a 1.2% agarose gel containing 2 mol/L formaldehyde, 20 mmol/L 3-(N-morpho)propane sulfonic acid, 8 mmol/L sodium acetate, 1 mmol/L EDTA, and 5 mmol/L NaOH and transferred by capillary blotting to Hybond-N membranes (Amersham Corp) in 20x saline–sodium citrate (SSC; 3 mol/L sodium chloride and 0.3 mol/L sodium citrate). The membrane was optimally cross-linked (120 mJ/cm2) with UV light (UVXL-1000, Fisher Scientific). Membranes were prehybridized for 4 hours at 42°C in 50% formamide, 5x SSPE (0.75 mol/L NaCl and 0.05 mol/L NaH2PO4), 5x Denhardt's solution (0.1% Ficoll, 0.1% polyvinylpyrrolidone, and 0.1% bovine serum albumin), 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and 100 µg/mL herring sperm DNA and hybridized overnight (42°C) with specific cDNA probes that had been radiolabeled with [{alpha}-32P]dCTP (Amersham) by the random primer technique to a specific activity of at least 1x109 dpm/µg.23 Membranes were then washed twice in 2x SSC and 0.1% SDS for 15 minutes at room temperature and then once in 1x SSC and 0.1% SDS for 15 minutes at 65°C. Autoradiography was performed by using double intensifying screens (Cronex) and Kodak XAR film at -80°C. Signal intensity was quantified as integrated areas by using scanning densitometry.

Preparation of the cDNA Probes
A cDNA probe for human cNOS was prepared by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of a 10-µL aliquot of a HUVEC lambda gt-11 cDNA library (provided by Dr Morag Park, McGill University). The primers were designed on the basis of the sequence retrieved from the Genbank database (accession No. M93718)24 and were as follows: sense 5'-TTCCGGGGATTCTGGCAGGAG-3', antisense 5'-GCCATGGTAACATCGCCGCAG-3'. Amplification was as described25 with some modifications. Briefly, PCR was performed for 30 cycles with denaturation at 94°C for 1 minute and 20 seconds, annealing at 55°C for 2 minutes, and extension at 72°C for 2 minutes. The PCR product was analyzed in a 2% agarose gel, revealing a band of the predicted size (299 bp). This product was then ligated directly into the PCR II vector (Invitrogen), and the NOS sequence was confirmed by sequencing with T7 DNA polymerase.

A full-length human prepro–endothelin-1 (ET-1) cDNA probe was prepared by screening a HUVEC cDNA library in lambda gt-11 with a synthetic 33-base oligonucleotide complementary to the mRNA region encoding for residues Met-59 to Leu-69 of human prepro–ET-1 (5'-CAGGTGGCAGAAGTAGACACACTCTTTATCCAT-3').26 The oligonucleotide was 5' end labeled with T4 polynucleotide kinase and [{gamma}-32P]dATP. Bacteriophages were plated and transferred to nylon membranes (Hybond N, Amersham Canada, Ltd). Filters were hybridized with radiolabeled oligonucleotide, washed, and autoradiographed as described27 ; hybridization and washing were performed at 50°C. DNA from hybridizing recombinant bacteriophages was prepared by the method of QIAGEN, Inc. Inserts from the recombinant bacteriophages were recovered by EcoRI digestion, ligated into the plasmid pGEM-3Z, and sequenced with T7 DNA polymerase.

GAPDH cDNA, a constitutively expressed gene, was obtained (ATCC No. 57091),28 and a 0.78-kb Pst 1/Xba I fragment was used as a cDNA probe. A full-length cDNA probe for plasminogen activator inhibitor–1 (PAI-1) was a generous gift from Dr David Ginsburg, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor29 , and a 1.1-kb fragment was used that had been generated by digestion with EcoRI and Ava I.

Nitrite Measurement
Nitrite was determined by incubating 0.25 mL of the EC-conditioned medium with the Griess reagent (0.025 mL of 6.5 mol/L HCl and 0.025 mL of 37.5 mmol/L sulfanilic acid) for 10 minutes at room temperature.30 Ethylenediamine (0.025 mL) was added, and the absorbance at 540 nmol/L was determined 30 minutes later by using a spectrophotometer (Milton Roy). The concentrations were calculated from a standard curve derived from prepared solutions of NaNO2 (0 to 25 µmol/L).

Western Blot Analysis
Western blot analysis was performed by using the ECL system (Amersham). Crude cytoplasmic extracts were prepared from HUVECs that were either incubated under control conditions or exposed to TNF-{alpha} (30 U/mL) for 24 hours, by lysis in hypotonic buffer containing 0.2% Nonidet P-40, 40 mmol/L KCl, 10 mmol/L HEPES, pH 7.9, 3 mmol/L MgCL2, 1 mmol/L DTT, 5% glycerol, 8 ng/mL aprotinin, 2 ng/mL leupeptin, and 0.5 mmol/L phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (Sigma). The nuclei were removed by centrifugation at 14 000g for 2 minutes at 4°C. Cytoplasmic extracts were immediately frozen on dry ice and stored at -80°C. Sample protein (25 µg) was then loaded on a 10% to 20% gradient SDS-tricine gel (Novex), and electrophoresis was performed at 125 V for 90 minutes. The gel was then electrotransferred to a polyvinylidene difluoride membrane (Novex) using 30 V for 90 minutes. After overnight blocking in 5% nonfat milk in Tris-buffered saline at 4°C, the filter was incubated for 1 hour at room temperature with a primary antibody (diluted 1:1000), either a polyclonal raised against human endothelial cNOS (Dr David Harrison, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga) or a monoclonal raised against mouse iNOS (Transduction Laboratories, Lexington, Ky). The membrane was then incubated with the secondary antibody (anti-mouse or anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G conjugated with horse radish peroxidase, 1:1000) following the manufacturer's recommendations and autoradiographed for 10 to 15 seconds.


*    Results
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up arrowMethods
*Results
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Incubation of human ECs with TNF-{alpha} markedly downregulated the expression of cNOS. As shown in Fig 1Down, steady state mRNA levels of cNOS were profoundly reduced relative to GAPDH, even at concentrations as low as 10 U/mL and after an incubation period of less than 6 hours. In contrast, the expression of PAI-1 and ET-1 was upregulated by TNF-{alpha} (Fig 2Down). The decrease in levels of cNOS mRNA induced by TNF-{alpha} could not be prevented by L-NAME, an inhibitor of NO synthesis, or dexamethasone, which inhibits the induction of iNOS by cytokines.17



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Figure 1. Concentration-response relation (A) and time course (B) of tumor necrosis factor–{alpha} (TNF)–induced downregulation of steady state constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) mRNA levels in human endothelial cells (ECs). Northern blots hybridized with radiolabeled cDNA probes for cNOS and GAPDH to control for total RNA loaded in each of the lanes are shown in upper part of each panel. Histograms (lower part of each panel) show density of the cNOS hybridization signal relative to the GAPDH signal and are expressed as a percentage of control values. A, ECs were incubated for 24 hours with varying concentrations of TNF-{alpha}; B, ECs were incubated for varying time periods as shown with a single concentration of TNF-{alpha} (30 U/mL).



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Figure 2. Northern blot analysis of total cellular RNA hybridized with specific radiolabeled cDNA probes for endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS), plasminogen activator inhibitor–1 (PAI-1), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and GAPDH. RNA was extracted from endothelial cells incubated for 24 hours with control medium alone (lanes 1 and 8) or with the addition of the following agents: N{omega}-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 1 mmol/L, lane 2); tumor necrosis factor–{alpha} (TNF, 300 U/mL, lane 3); TNF and L-NAME (lane 4); sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 10 µmol/L, lane 5); dexamethasone (Dex, 1 µmol/L, lane 6); and TNF and Dex (lane 7).

Fig 3Down shows the effect of L-NMMA, another inhibitor of NOS, on TNF-{alpha}–induced downregulation of cNOS expression. Even at a relatively high concentration (10 mmol/L), L-NMMA did not prevent the downregulation of cNOS mRNA by TNF-{alpha}. To further exclude a role for NO in this action of TNF-{alpha}, the effect of pharmacological generation of NO was examined by using SNP (1 µmol/L, Fig 2Up) or SNAP (100 and 400 µmol/L; Fig 4ADown). These NO donor compounds failed to substantially reduce the expression of cNOS in HUVECs.



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Figure 3. Concentration-response relations of tumor necrosis factor–{alpha} (TNF)–induced downregulation of steady-state constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) mRNA levels under control conditions and in the presence of 10 mmol/L NG-monomethyl L-arginine (L-NMMA). A, Northern blots hybridized with cDNA probes for cNOS and GAPDH to control for total RNA loaded in each lane. B, Histograms showing the density of the cNOS hybridization signal relative to GAPDH expressed as a percentage of the control value at TNF 0 mmol/L in the presence ({blacksquare}) and absence () of L-NMMA. In lane 3 of the L-NMMA–treated cells (TNF-{alpha}, 30 U/mL) substantially less total RNA was loaded; however, the cNOS hybridization signal was still reduced relative to GAPDH to a similar extent as under control conditions.



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Figure 4. A, Northern blot showing the effect of S-nitroso-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) on the expression of endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) mRNA, hybridized as in Fig 1Up. Ribosomal RNA (28S) was used to control for total RNA loading. B, Western blot showing the expression of cNOS protein compared with that of the inducible form of NOS (iNOS). Lanes 1 and 2 represent 25 µg cytoplasmic protein extracted from human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured under control conditions (EC-CON) or in the presence of tumor necrosis factor–{alpha} (EC-TNF, 30 U/mL), respectively, for 24 hours. Lane 3, 2.5 mg of a murine macrophage lysate (MACRO; Transduction Laboratories) induced by endotoxin and interferon gamma.

The effect of TNF-{alpha} on the expression of cNOS and iNOS proteins in HUVECs was studied by Western blot analysis. As shown in Fig 4BUp, pretreatment of HUVECs for 24 hours with TNF-{alpha} markedly reduced the amount of cNOS protein, while iNOS protein was not detected in HUVEC cytoplasmic extracts either under control conditions or following pretreatment with TNF-{alpha}. In addition, nitrite levels were not different in control (0.38±0.05 µmol/L) and TNF-{alpha}–treated (0.38±0.03, 0.46±0.06, and 0.44±0.04 µmol/L for 10, 30, and 100 U/mL, respectively; n=3) cells. In contrast, substantial increases in nitrite could be demonstrated following incubation of cells with 100 and 400 µmol/L SNAP (8.04 and 66.55 µmol/L, respectively).

Fig 5Down compares the stability of various EC mRNAs following the complete inhibition of transcription by the administration of actinomycin D. There was no loss of the hybridization signal for cNOS over 24 hours; indeed there was an apparent increase in cNOS mRNA. However, when corrected by normalization with GAPDH mRNA, the relative density of the cNOS hybridization signal was constant (Fig 6Down), as was that for PAI-1. In contrast, ET-1 mRNA was rapidly degraded with a half-life of less than 1 hour.



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Figure 5. Half-life determination by Northern blot analysis for the mRNAs presented in Fig 2Up. Each lane was loaded with 20 µg total RNA extracted from endothelial cells incubated for varying times after the addition of actinomycin D to inhibit RNA transcription. cNOS indicates endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase; PAI-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor–1; and ET-1, endothelin-1.



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Figure 6. Line graph showing levels of mRNA as determined by Northern blot analysis using radiolabeled cDNA probes for endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS), plasminogen activator inhibitor–1 (PAI-1), and endothelin-1 (ET-1). The density of the hybridization signals relative to GAPDH are presented on the ordinate as a percentage of the control values immediately before the addition of actinomycin D (Act D, 10 µg/mL). Time of incubation following addition of actinomycin D is shown on the abscissa. Each point represents a mean value for two or three experiments.

The effect of TNF-{alpha} on the stability of cNOS mRNA in the presence and absence of cycloheximide is presented in Fig 7Down. TNF-{alpha} alone destabilized cNOS message, while that of PAI-1 remained stable. Cycloheximide had no effect on cNOS mRNA levels prior to the addition of actinomycin D (0 hours) but increased the amount of message at each time point thereafter. In contrast, cycloheximide increased the expression of ET-1 (less so for PAI-1) in the presence of TNF-{alpha} but had little effect on the half-life, while message for GAPDH was not altered.



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Figure 7. Half-life determination by Northern blot analysis for the mRNAs presented in Fig 2Up in the presence of tumor necrosis factor–{alpha} (TNF, 30 U/mL). Each lane was loaded with total RNA extracted from endothelial cells incubated for varying time periods following treatment with actinomycin D with (+) or without (-) the addition of cycloheximide (CHx, 1 µmol/L) to inhibit de novo protein synthesis. cNOS indicates a constitutive isoform of nitric oxide synthase; PAI-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor–1; and ET-1, prepro–endothelin-1.

The relative density of the cNOS mRNA hybridization signal normalized for GAPDH is presented in Fig 8Down. TNF-{alpha} produced a shortening of the half-life to less than 12 hours, while coincubation with TNF-{alpha} and cycloheximide partially restored cNOS mRNA stability to control levels (ie, half-life >24 hours). In the presence of SNP, a pharmacological generator of NO, the stability of cNOS mRNA was identical to that under control conditions.



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Figure 8. Line graph showing levels of endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) mRNA as determined by Northern blot analysis of total RNA extracted from endothelial cells incubated in control medium alone ({circ}) or in the presence of tumor necrosis factor–{alpha} (TNF) alone ({bullet}), TNF and cycloheximide (CHX; {blacksquare}), or sodium nitroprusside alone (SNP; {blacktriangleup}). The density of the hybridization signal relative to GAPDH is presented on the ordinate as a percentage of the control values immediately before the addition of actinomycin D (Act D, 2 µg/mL). Time of incubation following addition of actinomycin D is shown on the abscissa. Each point represents a mean value for two or three experiments.


*    Discussion
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up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMethods
up arrowResults
*Discussion
down arrowReferences
 
TNF-{alpha} produced a marked reduction in steady state mRNA levels for cNOS in human ECs in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, with near maximal downregulation at concentrations between 10 and 30 U/mL and as rapidly as within 6 hours of its addition to the culture medium. Yet cNOS mRNA was remarkably stable under control conditions, with no detectable loss of signal even 24 hours after treatment with actinomycin D, which effectively prevents further gene transcription.31 Thus, it is unlikely that, without a change in the stability of the message, even the total suppression of transcription could account for the rapid and complete disappearance of steady state cNOS message after exposure to TNF-{alpha}. Indeed, after a 3-hour preincubation with TNF-{alpha}, the half-life of cNOS message was found to have decreased to less than 12 hours, with nearly no detectable message 24 hours after treatment with actinomycin D. This finding agrees with the earlier report of Yoshizumi et al8 and strongly suggests that a change in stability of cNOS message is the predominant mechanism for the downregulation of its steady state expression. Moreover, the destabilization of cNOS message by TNF-{alpha} could be largely prevented by coincubation with cycloheximide, indicating that synthesis of new protein(s) was required for this effect.

The degradation of mRNA is a regulated process that is a potentially important contributor to the level of gene expression.32 33 Certain motifs can confer stability, such as the stem-loop structures in the 3' untranslated regions (3'UTRs) of some bacterial mRNAs. In contrast, UA-rich regions in the 3'UTR of protooncogenes promote the rapid degradation of their messages. Interestingly, the mRNA for both endothelial cNOS and ET-1 possesses AUUUA repeats in the 3'UTR, which promote rapid degradation, yet only ET-1 exhibits a short half-life.34 Destabilization of cNOS mRNA in response to TNF-{alpha} could result from a protein-mRNA interaction, which would allow the rapid degradation elements in the 3'UTR to become active. An example of such a mechanism is the destabilization of transferrin receptor mRNA in the presence of ferrous iron.33 35 Importantly, NO also alters the affinity of the iron regulatory factor for its mRNA binding site21 32 and thus regulates the stability of the transferrin receptor message.

The effect of NO on the stability of the transferrin receptor mRNA raises the possibility that, as a product of the NOS pathway, NO could regulate the expression of cNOS mRNA in a "feedback" manner, much as it may regulate the activity of the enzyme.36 However, TNF-{alpha}–induced downregulation of steady-state mRNA levels for cNOS was not prevented by inhibition of the synthesis of NO using L-NAME or L-NMMA. As well, pretreatment of ECs with dexamethasone at a concentration that prevents the induction of iNOS in response to cytokine stimulation17 also failed to modify the effect of TNF-{alpha} on the expression of cNOS, while the pharmacological generation of exogenous NO by addition of SNP or SNAP had no effect on steady-state levels or stability of cNOS mRNA. Finally, the expression of cNOS protein was downregulated by TNF-{alpha} in a manner similar to its message, whereas no induction of iNOS was observed in HUVECs by Western blot analysis (Fig 4BUp) or as shown by the measurement of nitrite, a stable breakdown product of NO. Therefore, the results of the present experiments provide strong arguments against an autocrine role of NO in the cytokine-induced downregulation of cNOS mRNA in human ECs.

Surprisingly, the message for PAI-1 was stable in human ECs, comparable to those for cNOS and GAPDH. This finding is in disagreement with the short half-life for PAI-1 mRNA reported for bovine ECs37 and a human hepatoma cell line.38 The reason for this discrepancy is not clear, but it may reflect differences in posttranscriptional regulation of PAI-1 mRNA between different cell types. In contrast, the half-life of ET-1 message was very short in our cells (<1 hour), comparable to other reports.34 Of note, the stability of PAI-1 mRNA was not reduced by pretreatment with TNF-{alpha}, indicating that the destabilization of cNOS message occurred by a selective mechanism rather than by a nonspecific increase in degradation of mRNA.

The present findings may have important implications regarding the role of the endothelium in the initiation and progression of vascular disorders. The loss of cNOS expression and the resulting decrease in the capacity to produce NO in response to physiological stimuli could compromise the ability of the endothelium to protect against thrombosis, vasoconstriction, and subintimal proliferation. At the same time, TNF-{alpha}–induced upregulation of the expression of ET-1 and PAI-1 mRNA would serve to actively promote these pathological processes. Increased levels of cytokines have been demonstrated in a variety of cardiovascular disorders, from atherosclerosis9 to heart failure.39 Thus, a better understanding of the mechanisms of TNF-{alpha}–induced endothelial dysfunction may lead to the development of new strategies in the prevention and treatment of vascular disease.


*    Acknowledgments
 
This work was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council of Canada. Juan Carlos Monge and Duncan John Stewart are supported by Les Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec.

Received December 8, 1993; accepted September 26, 1994.


*    References
up arrowTop
up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMethods
up arrowResults
up arrowDiscussion
*References
 
1. Moncada S, Palmer RMJ, Higgs EA. Nitric oxide: physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. Pharmacol Rev. 1991;43:109-142. [Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]

2. Nishida K, Harrison DG, Navas JP, Fisher AA, Dockery SP, Uematsu M, Nerem RM, Alexander RW, Murphy TJ. Molecular cloning and characterization of the constitutive bovine aortic endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase. J Clin Invest. 1992;90:2092-2096.

3. Lamas S, Marsden PA, Li GK, Tempst P, Michel T. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase: molecular cloning and characterization of a distinct constitutive enzyme isoform. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992;89:6348-6352. [Abstract/Free Full Text]

4. Furchgott RF, Vanhoutte PM. Endothelium-derived relaxing and contracting factors. FASEB J. 1989;3:2007-2018. [Abstract]

5. Griffith TM, Lewis MJ, Newby AC, Henderson AH. Endothelium-derived relaxing factor. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1988;12:797-806. [Abstract]

6. Stewart DJ, Monge JC. Hyperlipidemia and endothelial dysfunction. Curr Opin Lipidol. 1993;4:319-324.

7. Marsden PA, Schappert KT, Chen HS, Flows M, Sundell CL, Wilcox JN, Lamas S, Micheal T. Molecular cloning and characterization of human endothelial nitric oxide synthase. FEBS Lett. 1992;307:287-293. [Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]

8. Yoshizumi M, Perrella MA, Burnett JC Jr, Lee M-E. Tumor necrosis factor downregulates an endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA by shortening its half-life. Circ Res. 1993;73:205-209. [Abstract]

9. Barath P, Fishbein MC, Cao J, Berenson J, Helfant RH, Forrester JS. Tumor necrosis factor gene expression in human vascular intimal smooth muscle cells detected by in situ hybridization. Am J Pathol. 1990;137:503-509. [Abstract]

10. Ludmer PL, Selwyn AP, Shook TL. Paradoxical vasoconstriction induced by acetylcholine in atherosclerotic coronary arteries. N Engl J Med. 1986;315:1046-1051. [Abstract]

11. Nathan C. Nitric oxide as a secretory product of mammalian cells. FASEB J. 1992;6:3051-3064. [Abstract]

12. Dinerman JL, Lowenstein CJ, Snyder SH. Molecular mechanisms of nitric oxide regulation: potential relevance to cardiovascular disease. Circ Res. 1993;73:217-222. [Free Full Text]

13. Stuehr DJ, Cho HJ, Kwon NS, Weise MF, Nathan CF. Purification and characterization of the cytokine-induced macrophage nitric oxide synthase: an FAD- and FMN-containing flavoprotein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991;88:7773-7777. [Abstract/Free Full Text]

14. Ewenstein BM, Jacobson BC, Birch KA. Regulated secretion in vascular endothelium. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1991;314:141-157. [Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]

15. Lowenstein CJ, Glatt CS, Bredt DS, Snyder SH. Cloned and expressed macrophage nitric oxide synthase contrasts with the brain enzyme. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992;89:6711-6715. [Abstract/Free Full Text]

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