The effects of altered thyroid hormones level (through induction of Hypothyroidism or Hyperthyroidism) on oxidative stress and antioxidant biomarkers as well as on gene expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and superoxide dismutase of adult male rat brain were studied. Hypothyroidism was induced by daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of propylthiouracil (PTU, 10 mg/kg body weight) for...

BACKGROUND An acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil currently is used to treat patients with Alzheimer disease. However, its direct effect on cerebral blood vessels has not been evaluated. The present study was designed to examine whether donepezil induces acute cerebral arteriolar dilation and whether neuronal nitric oxide synthase contributes to this vasodilator response. METHODS Brain s...

BACKGROUND Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a chronic microangiopathic complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).Vascular endothelial dysfunction resulting from impaired nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in the vascular endothelial cells has been suggested as playing an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (E-NOS) gene G894T polym...

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a rare and fatal neuromuscular disease in which the absence of dystrophin from the muscle membrane induces a secondary loss of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and the muscles capacity for endogenous nitric oxide synthesis. Since nitric oxide is a potent regulator of skeletal muscle metabolism, mass, function and regeneration, the loss of nitric oxide bioavailabilit...

The aim of the study was to verify the hypothesis that intoxication with low doses of mycotoxins leads to changes in the mRNA expression levels of nitric oxide synthase-1 and nitric oxide synthase-2 genes in tissues of the gastrointestinal tract and the liver. The experiment involved four groups of immature gilts (with body weight of up to 25 kg) which were orally administered zearalenone in a ...

The aim of this study was to examine if the growth factor, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1), could prevent induction of nitric oxide synthase and cytokine-mediated inhibitory effects in the insulin-containing, clonal beta cell line RINm5F. Treatment of RINm5F cells for 24 h with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) (100 pM) induced expression of nitric oxide synthase and inhibited glyce...

in the present study, interactions between lead exposure with nitric oxide precursor (l-arginine) or nitric oxide synthase (nos) inhibitor (l-name) on naloxone-induced jumping and diarrhea in morphine-dependent mice were examined. chronic lead acetate (0.05%) exposure altered naloxone-induced jumping and diarrhea in mice. jumping was decreased after 7 days and was unchanged 14 and 28 days after...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Ischemic stroke is a major cause of death worldwide but lacks viable treatment or treatment targets. Monocyte locomotion inhibitory factor (MLIF) is a small heat-stable pentapeptide produced by Entamoeba histolytica in axenic culture, which is supposed to protect the brain from ischemic injury; the mechanism, however, remains unknown. In this study, we further investigate...

BACKGROUND Nitric oxide synthase uncoupling occurs under conditions of oxidative stress modifying the enzyme's function so it generates superoxide rather than nitric oxide. Nitric oxide synthase uncoupling occurs with chronic pressure overload, and both are ameliorated by exogenous tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)-a cofactor required for normal nitric oxide synthase function-supporting a pathophysiolo...