We have recently shown that nitric oxide or authentic endothelium-derived relaxing factor generated in a biologic system reacts in the presence of specific protein thiols to form S-nitrosoprotein derivatives that have endothelium-derived relaxing factor-like properties. The single free cysteine of serum albumin, Cys-34, is particularly reactive toward nitrogen oxides (most likely nitrosonium io...

More than a quarter of a century ago Robert Furchgoldltt demonstrated that removing the endothelial layer from the isolated aorta of a rabbit prevents normal relaxation in response to acetylcholine.1 The ability of the endothelium to elicit relaxation was soon extended to more relevant physiological stimuli (adenosine triphosphate, bradykinin and serotonin).2,3 The endothelial cells cause arter...

Recent evidence suggests that endothelium-derived relaxing factor exhibits properties of nitric oxide. Like nitric oxide, it inhibits platelet function and mediates its effects by elevating intracellular cyclic GMP. In this study we have investigated the role of reduced thiol in the mechanism of action of endothelium-derived relaxing factor on platelets. Bovine aortic endothelial cells were gro...

To determine a role for endothelium-derived relaxing factor/nitric oxide (EDRF/NO) in regulation of human platelet reactivity by human endothelial cells (EC), we studied combined suspensions of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HU-VEC, passage 2 through 3) and washed human platelets. Confluent HUVEC monolayers were treated with aspirin (1 mmol/L) to prevent prostacyclin (PGI2) formation, ...

Isolated bovine coronary arteries were treated with 10 mM diethyldithiocarbamate (DETCA) for 30 minutes to deplete the cytosolic ZnCu form of superoxide dismutase (SOD). This treatment completely inhibited the endothelium- and cGMP-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine (mediated via the endothelium-derived relaxing factor, which is thought to be nitric oxide) without significantly inhibiting en...

BACKGROUND Nitric oxide (NO) has been identified as endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), which, in addition to its relaxant effects on vascular smooth muscle cells, is also a potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation. An inhibitory role on platelet adhesion has been suggested from experiments with washed platelets under static conditions. We have determined whether endothelium-derived and...

Experiments were performed to determine the effect of ouabain on the release of relaxing factor(s) from cultured endothelial cells, and its action on the effect of the relaxing factor(s) on arterial smooth muscle. A column of porcine aortic endothelial cells grown on microcarrier beads in suspension culture was perfused with modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution. The release of relaxing fa...