Nitric oxide synthase expression in lungs of pulmonary hypertensive patients with heart disease.

Abstract

Since little is known about the contribution of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (e-NOS) to the mechanism of pulmonary vasospasm and the development of pulmonary vascular occlusive disease, we elucidate how e-NOS is expressed in lung biopsy specimens obtained from operative patients with pulmonary hypertension. Lung biopsy specimens were obtained from 17 patients who underwent open-heart operations for various heart diseases. A piece of normal lung specimen was also obtained from the resected lungs of three lung cancer patients as a control. e-NOS expression was visualized with a monoclonal antibody against e-NOS, and the level of expression was partially quantified. Significantly high levels of e-NOS expression were seen in adult patients, whose preoperative mean pulmonary arterial pressures were greater than 20 mm Hg. In contrast, e-NOS expression in pediatric patients with the same levels of mean pulmonary arterial pressure was the same as that in the controls and in low pulmonary arterial pressure. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the level of e-NOS expression and Heath--Edwards grading. These data suggest that the e-NOS expression in lung tissue is induced when pulmonary vascular obstructive diseases progress.

• Authors: H Komai, Y Naito, Y Aimi, H Kimura
• Journal: Cardiovascular pathology : the official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology (Cardiovasc Pathol) 2001 Jan-Feb Vol. 10 Issue 1 Pg. 29-32 ISSN: 1054-8807 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11343992 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• NOS3 protein, human
• Nitric Oxide Synthase
• Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III

Topics

• Aged
• Blood Pressure (physiology)
• Cardiac Surgical Procedures
• Child
• Ductus Arteriosus, Patent (complications, enzymology, pathology, physiopathology)
• Endothelium, Vascular (enzymology, pathology)
• Female
• Heart Diseases (complications, enzymology, pathology, physiopathology)
• Heart Septal Defects, Atrial (complications, enzymology, pathology, physiopathology)
• Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular (complications, enzymology, pathology, physiopathology)
• Humans
• Hypertension, Pulmonary (enzymology, etiology, pathology, physiopathology)
• Immunoenzyme Techniques
• Infant
• Lung (blood supply, enzymology, pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Mitral Valve Insufficiency (complications, enzymology, pathology, physiopathology)
• Mitral Valve Stenosis (complications, enzymology, pathology, physiopathology)
• Nitric Oxide Synthase (metabolism)
• Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III
• Pulmonary Artery (physiopathology)
• Tetralogy of Fallot (complications, enzymology, pathology, physiopathology)