Activation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) signaling pathway in 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced neurotoxicity.

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has been reported to cause alterations in cognitive and motor behavior during both development and adulthood. In this study, the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) signaling pathway was investigated in differentiated pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells to better understand the mechanisms of TCDD-induced neurotoxicity. TCDD exposure induced a time- and dose-dependent increase in nNOS expression. High levels of nitric oxide (NO) production by nNOS activation induced mitochondrial cytochrome c (Cyt-c) release and down-regulation of Bcl-2. Additionally, TCDD increased the expression of active caspase-3 and significantly led to apoptosis in PC12 cells. However, these effects above could be effectively inhibited by the addition of 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), a highly selective nNOS inhibitor. Moreover, in the brain cortex of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, nNOS was also found to have certain relationship with TCDD-induced neuronal apoptosis. Together, our findings establish a role for nNOS as an enhancer of TCDD-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells.