Citrulline a More Suitable Substrate than Arginine to Restore NO Production and the Microcirculation during Endotoxemia

BACKGROUND: Impaired microcirculation during endotoxemia correlates with a disturbed arginine-nitric oxide (NO) metabolism and is associated with deteriorating organ function. Improving the organ perfusion in endotoxemia, as often seen in patients with severe infection or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is, therefore, an important therapeutic target. We hypothesized that supplementation of the arginine precursor citrulline rather than arginine would specifically increase eNOS-induced intracellular NO production and thereby improve the microcirculation during endotoxemia. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To study the effects of L-Citrulline and L-Arginine supplementation on jejunal microcirculation, intracellular arginine availability and NO production in a non-lethal prolonged endotoxemia model in mice. C57/Bl6 mice received an 18 hrs intravenous infusion of endotoxin (LPS, 0.4 µg • g bodyweight(-1) • h(-1)), combined with either L-Citrulline (6.25 mg • h-1), L-Arginine (6.25 mg • h(-1)), or L-Alanine (isonitrogenous control; 12.5 mg • h(-1)) during the last 6 hrs. The control group received an 18 hrs sterile saline infusion combined with L-Alanine or L-Citrulline during the last 6 hrs. The microcirculation was evaluated at the end of the infusion period using sidestream dark-field imaging of jejunal villi. Plasma and jejunal tissue amino-acid concentrations were measured by HPLC, NO tissue concentrations by electron-spin resonance spectroscopy and NOS protein concentrations using Western blot. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: L-Citrulline supplementation during endotoxemia positively influenced the intestinal microvascular perfusion compared to L-Arginine-supplemented and control endotoxemic mice. L-Citrulline supplementation increased plasma and tissue concentrations of arginine and citrulline, and restored intracellular NO production in the intestine. L-Arginine supplementation did not increase the intracellular arginine availability. Jejunal tissues in the L-Citrulline-supplemented group showed, compared to the endotoxemic and L-Arginine-supplemented endotoxemic group, an increase in degree of phosphorylation of eNOS (Ser 1177) and a decrease in iNOS protein level. In conclusion, L-Citrulline supplementation during endotoxemia and not L-Arginine reduced intestinal microcirculatory dysfunction and increased intracellular NO production, likely via increased intracellular citrulline and arginine availability

Direct Observation of Enhanced Nitric Oxide in a Murine Model of Diabetic Nephropathy.

Uncoupling of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) secondary to redox signaling is a central mechanism in endothelial and macrophage activation. To date studies on the production of nitric oxide (NO) during the development of diabetic complications show paradoxical results. We previously showed that recoupling eNOS by increasing the eNOS cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) could restore endothelial function and prevent kidney injury in experimental kidney transplantation. Here, we employed a diabetic mouse model to investigate the effects of diabetes on renal tissue NO bioavailability. For this, we used in vivo NO trapping, followed by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. In addition, we investigated whether coupling of NOS by supplying the cofactor BH4 could restore glomerular endothelial barrier function. Our data show that overall NO availability at the tissue level is not reduced sixteen weeks after the induction of diabetes in apoE knockout mice, despite the presence of factors that cause endothelial dysfunction, and the presence of the endogenous NOS inhibitor ADMA. Targeting uncoupled NOS with the BH4 precursor sepiapterin further increases NO availability, but did not modify renal glomerular injury. Notably, glomerular heparanase activity as a driver for loss of glomerular barrier function was not reduced, pointing towards NOS-independent mechanisms. This was confirmed by unaltered increased glomerular presence of cathepsin L, the protease that activates heparanase

Identification of Free Nitric Oxide Radicals in Rat Bone Marrow: Implications for Progenitor Cell Mobilization in Hypertension

Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9)-dependent mobilization of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from bone marrow (BM). However, direct measurement of NO in the BM remained elusive due to its low in situ concentration and short lifetime. Using NO spin trapping and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy we give the first experimental confirmation of free NO radicals in rodent BM. NO production was quantified and attributed to enzymatic activity of NO synthases (NOS). Although endothelial NOS (eNOS) accounts for most (66%) of basal NO, we identified a significant contribution (23%) from inducible NOS (iNOS). Basal NO levels closely correlate with MMP9 bioavailability in BM of both hypertensive and control rats. Our observations support the hypothesis that inadequate mobilization of BM-derived stem and progenitor cells in hypertension results from impaired NOS/NO/MMP9 signalling in BM, a condition that may be corrected with pharmacological intervention

Critical Limits for Hg(II) in soils, derived from chronic toxicity data

Published chronic toxicity data for Hg(II) added to soils were assembled and evaluated to produce a data set comprising 52 chronic endpoints, five each for plants and invertebrates and 42 for microbes. With endpoints expressed in terms of added soil Hg(II) contents, Critical Limits were derived from the 5th percentiles of species sensitivity distributions, values of 0.13 μg (g soil)-1 and 3.3 μg (g soil organic matter)-1 being obtained. The latter value exceeds the currently-recommended Critical Limit, used to determine Hg(II) Critical Loads in Europe, of 0.5 μg (g soil organic matter)-1. We also applied the WHAM/Model VI chemical speciation model to estimate concentrations of Hg2+ in soil solution, and derived an approximate Critical Limit Function (CLF) that includes pH; log [Hg2+]crit = - 2.15 pH – 17.10. Because they take soil properties into account, the soil organic matter-based limit and the CLF provide the best assessment of toxic threat for different soils. For differing representative soils, each predicts a range of up to 100-fold in the dry weight-based content of mercury that corresponds to the Critical Limit

Tissue-dependent variation in NO free radical induction.

<p>(A) EPR spectrum of frozen kidney samples. The characteristic triplet structure of the mononitrosyl-iron complex (MNIC, double-headed arrow) centers around g  =  2.035 and represents the formation of local nitric oxide in 334–370 mg tissue. (B-D) Quantification of nitric oxide formation in kidney, liver and heart tissue, shown as mean pmol MNIC / mg wet tissue ± SD, n = 7–9. E) Plasma ADMA concentrations, shows as mean ± SD, n = 8. *P<0.05, compared with ApoE; #P<0.05 compared with DM. ApoE = ApoE KO mice, DM = diabetic apoE KO mice, DM + S = diabetic apoE KO mice + sepiapterin.</p

Sepiapterin does not reduce albuminuria in diabetic apoE KO mice.

<p>(A) PAS-stained glomeruli of apoE KO mice (apoE), diabetic apoE KO mice (DM) and diabetic apoE KO mice treated with sepiapterin (DM + S), showing heterogeneous diabetic lesions 14 weeks after induction of diabetes with STZ (20). Scale bars: 20 μm. Sepiapterin did not affect mesangial area (B,C), nor blood glucose concentrations (D). Data are shown as mean ± SD, *P<0.05 compared with apoE, n = 8. (E) Albumin-creatinine ratios (ACR) at baseline, 2- and 4 weeks after treatment, as indicated by mean ± SEM, *P<0.05 compared with apoE, n = 14–23.</p

Increased NO levels affect endothelial glycocalyx non-uniformly.

<p>(A) Representative microscopic images of cationic ferritin (TEM; top), heparanase (HPSE, immunofluorescence; middle) and cathepsin L (CTSL; bottom) in glomeruli of apoE KO mice (apoE), diabetic apoE KO mice (DM) and diabetic apoE KO mice treated with sepiapterin (DM + S). (B) Quantification of endothelial cationic ferritin coverage in 6–8 capillary loops in 9 glomeruli of 3 mice, shown as mean percentage of total capillary length ± SD, (C) Quantification of glomerular heparanase expression, shown as mean area percentage ± SD. (D) Quantification of glomerular cathepsin L expression, shown as mean area percentage ± SD. *P<0.05 compared with ApoE, n = 6–8. Scale bars: 500 nm in TEM images; 20 μm in fluorescent and light microscopic images.</p

Experimental set-up for assessment of NO bioavailability.

<p>(A) male ApoE KO mice (<i>B6</i>.<i>129P2- Apoe</i>^{<i>tm1Unc</i>}<i>/J)</i> were injected with citrate buffer ± STZ. Diabetic mice received cholesterol enriched diet and insulin from week 8 onwards. At 18 week of age, diabetic mice were treated with sepiapterin or received normal drinking water for 4 weeks. Urine was collected upon commencing with the experimental procedure and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. At 22 weeks, plasma was collected and the mice were sacrificed.</p

Representative live images of the microcirculatory measurements in jejunal villi with SDF imaging.

<p>(A) Representative live image of the jejunal microcirculation in a control mouse. (B) Representative live image of the jejunal microcirculation in a LPS-Ala treated mouse which shows only perfusion of the larger vessels. (C) Representative live image of a LPS-Arg treated mouse which shows a comparable perfusion pattern as the LPS-Ala treated mouse. (D) Representative live image of a LPS-Cit treated mouse, which’s shows more small perfused vessels per villus.</p

Amino-acid concentrations and NO production in murine jejunal tissue.

<p>(A) L-Citrulline supplementation (LPS-Cit) increased tissue citrulline concentration compared to the LPS-Ala, LPS-Arg and control groups (P<0.001) (B) Arginine concentrations were significantly reduced in the LPS-Ala group compared to the control group (P<0.05). Interestingly, this concentration was not increased by L-Arginine supplementation (LPS-Arg), whereas this concentration was significantly increased by L-Citrulline supplementation (LPS-Cit group; P<0.01). (C) Ornithine levels increased in the LPS-Ala treated group compared to the control group (P<0.05) and increased further upon L-Citrulline supplementation (P<0.0001 relative to the control group and P<0.05 relative to the LPS group). (D) In the jejunum, prolonged endotoxemia resulted in a significant decrease in NO production (measured as pmol mono-nitrosyl-iron complexes (MNIC)/mg wet tissue) compared to control (P<0.05). NO production was significantly improved in the LPS-Arg and LPS-Cit group compared to the LPS group (P<0.0001 and P<0.05 respectively).</p