Pneumococci Stimulate the Production of the Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Nitric Oxide by Murine Macrophages

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the pathophysiology of gram-positive sepsis is uncertain. In inflammatory conditions, high-output NO production is catalyzed by the enzyme inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The ability of 2 strains of pneumococci, pneumococcal cell wall preparations, and purifi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 1998-12, Vol.178 (6), p.1649-1657
Main Authors: Orman, Karen L., Shenep, Jerry L., English, B. Keith
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bacteremia
Bacteriology
Biological and medical sciences
Cell Line
Cell Wall
Cell walls
Enzyme Induction
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Interferon-gamma - pharmacology
Macrophages
Macrophages - drug effects
Macrophages - microbiology
Macrophages - physiology
Major Article
Mice
Microbiology
Neuroglia
Nitric Oxide - biosynthesis
Nitric Oxide Synthase - biosynthesis
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
Nitrites
Oxacillin - pharmacology
Oxides
Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains
Pneumococcal Infections
Pulmonary wedge pressure
Recombinant Proteins
Sepsis
Septic shock
Streptococcus pneumoniae - drug effects
Streptococcus pneumoniae - physiology
Tumor necrosis factors
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Summary:The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the pathophysiology of gram-positive sepsis is uncertain. In inflammatory conditions, high-output NO production is catalyzed by the enzyme inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The ability of 2 strains of pneumococci, pneumococcal cell wall preparations, and purified pneumococcal capsule (Pnu-Imune 23) to trigger the production of iNOS protein and NO in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages was tested. Live pneumococci, oxacillin-killed pneumococci, and pneumococcal cell wall preparations stimulated the production of iNOS and NO by RAW 264.7 cells in the presence, but not the absence, of low concentrations of recombinant murine interferon-γ. In contrast, purified pneumococcal capsule induced little or no iNOS or NO production by these cells. Thus, pneumococci stimulate high-output NO production by murine macrophages. The potential role of NO in the pathogenesis of pneumococcal sepsis deserves further study.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1086/314526