Methylxanthines and calcium-mobilizing agents inhibit the expression of cytokine-inducible nitric oxide synthase and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in murine microvascular endothelial cells.

In response to exposure to the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), murine brain microvascular endothelial cells (MME) synthesize the cell surface molecule, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and the intracellular enzyme, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). However, iNOS synthesis requires the presence of both TNF and IFN-gamma, while VCAM-1 can be induced by either cytokine alone. We examined the induction of VCAM-1 and iNOS under a variety of conditions to better define the regulation of TNF and IFN-gamma signal transduction pathways in MME. We utilized the analysis of steady-state levels of iNOS mRNA as well as the measurement of MME-released NO-EDRF (nitric oxide as an endothelium-derived relaxing factor) activity and accumulation of nitrite in the culture medium to define iNOS expression and activity. VCAM-1 expression was determined by flow cytometric analysis. Our data indicate that low density lipoproteins inhibited cytokine-induced iNOS activity by affecting the steady-state levels of iNOS mRNA. Methylxanthines (caffeine and theophylline) as well as several calcium-mobilizing agents inhibited the expression/activity of both iNOS and VCAM-1 in MME. The effectiveness of these agents was dependent upon the degree of disruption in cell calcium homeostasis during cytokine treatment. Cells which had been pretreated with calcium-modulating drugs and then washed and allowed to return to normal calcium homeostasis showed little to no effect from these agents. In addition, our results suggest that NO produced by iNOS acts as a metabolic switch during inflammation by inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation and forcing vascular endothelial cells to temporarily utilize anaerobic energy metabolism.