Stimulation by hydrogen peroxide of L-arginine metabolism to L-citrulline coupled with nitric oxide synthesis in cultured endothelial cells.

The effect of hydrogen peroxide on metabolism of L-arginine to L-citrulline in the biosynthesis of nitric oxide was investigated in bovine aortic endothelial cells. Addition of hydrogen peroxide (1-10 mM) to endothelial cells increased L-citrulline formation from L-arginine in a dose-dependent manner. Stimulation of L-citrulline formation was prevented by catalase (20 micrograms/ml), a hydrogen peroxide scavenger, but not by superoxide dismutase (SOD, 100 micrograms/ml), a superoxide anion scavenger. Pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine (10(-5) M) and NG-methyl-L-arginine (10(-4) M), potent inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase, also inhibited L-citrulline formation induced by hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, hydrogen peroxide increased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations, and the removal of extracellular Ca2+ reduced the hydrogen peroxide-induced formation of L-citrulline. These findings show that hydrogen peroxide increases the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and stimulates the formation of L-citrulline from L-arginine coupled with nitric oxide synthesis in cultured endothelial cells.