Nitric oxide synthase in Entamoeba histolytica: Its effect on rat aortic rings

María Elena Hernández-Campos, Rafael Campos-Rodríguez, Victor Tsutsumi, Mineko Shibayama, Ethel García-Latorre, Carlos Castillo-Henkel, Ignacio Valencia-Hernández

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15 Scopus citations

Abstract

NADPH-diaphorase activity has been considered as a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) marker. Therefore, the presence of NADPH-d activity in Entamoeba histolytica suggests that they have NOS activity. The aim of this work was to provide support for this contention. The amebic culture medium or amebic purified proteins induced relaxation of endothelium-denuded rat aortic rings pre-contracted with phenylephrine (10-6M), which was inhibited when the amebas were incubated with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine or aminoguanidine (NOS inhibitors), or by pretreatment of the aortic rings with methylene blue. L-Arginine reverted the L-NAME inhibitory effect. In addition, trophozoites produce NO in culture and they have proteins which were recognized by antibodies specific to NOS and show activity of NO synthase. In conclusion, our results provide evidence about the production of NO by trophozoites. This molecule may be responsible for the relaxation elicited by the amebic culture medium and may participate in the pathogenesis of the invasive amebiasis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)87-95
Number of pages9
JournalExperimental Parasitology
Volume104
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2003

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