The role of reactive nitrogen/oxygen intermediates in cytokine-induced trophoblast apoptosis.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates (ROI, RNI), such as superoxide anion, nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite, are present in villous trophoblasts and mediate TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis in other cell types. We therefore proposed that ROI/RNI mediate cytokine-induced apoptosis of cultured villous cytotrophoblasts. Treatment of cultures of highly purified term cytotrophoblasts with TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma had no effect on NO synthase (NOS) protein expression measured by immunoblot analysis: iNOS was not expressed and eNOS expression was unaffected. NO production assessed by nitrite levels was below detection limits of the Griess reaction and the NOS inhibitors L-NAME and L-NMMA did not decrease cytokine-stimulated apoptosis. Trophoblasts produced ROI and expressed Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) protein but neither was affected by cytokine treatment. ROI scavengers (exogenous SOD, ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxyanisole) also had no effect on cytokine-stimulated apoptosis. Nitrotyrosine immunoblot analysis indicated peroxynitrite production but again cytokines did not reproducibly alter expression patterns or band intensities. Exogenous peroxynitrite stimulated cytotrophoblast apoptosis but only at high levels (1000 microM). We conclude that, although present in cultured villous cytotrophoblasts, ROI/RNI are not induced by TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma and do not mediate cytokine-induced apoptosis.