Lack of a role for inducible nitric oxide synthase in an experimental model of nephrotic syndrome

• Published in: Biochemical pharmacology Vol. 60; no. 1; pp. 137 - 143
• Main Authors: Walker, Lisa M, Shah, Sudhir V, Mayeux, Philip R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.07.2000; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: aminoguanidine; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Guanidines - pharmacology; inducible nitric oxide synthase; Male; Medical sciences; nephrotic syndrome; Nephrotic Syndrome - chemically induced; Nephrotic Syndrome - enzymology; Nephrotic Syndrome - metabolism; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Nitric Oxide Synthase - antagonists & inhibitors; Nitric Oxide Synthase - physiology; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Puromycin Aminonucleoside; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Toxicity: urogenital system; puromycin aminonucleoside; aminoguanidine; nephrotic syndrome; inducible nitric oxide synthase; Glomerulonephritis; Intraperitoneal administration; Intravenous administration; Rat; Toxicity; Nitrites; Nitrates; Blood plasma; Puromycin; Aminonucleoside; Mechanism of action; Kidney disease; Urine; Urinary system disease; Enzyme; Rodentia; Enzyme inhibitor; Nephrotic syndrome; Nitric-oxide synthase; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Nitric oxide; Oxidoreductases; Proteinuria
• ISSN: 0006-2952; 1873-2968
• DOI: 10.1016/S0006-2952(00)00308-7

Puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) administration in rats produces an experimental model of nephrotic syndrome characterized by glomerular epithelial cell injury and proteinuria. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of nitric oxide (NO) in this model of minimal change glomerular disease. Aminoguanidine (AG) was used to inhibit inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into Control (N = 9), PAN (N = 14), AG (N = 2), and PAN + AG (N = 12) treatment groups. Control animals received saline (i.v.), PAN animals received PAN (75 mg/kg, i.v.), and PAN + AG animals received PAN plus AG (50 mg/kg, i.p., twice daily). AG animals received a saline injection (i.v.) on day 0 in the place of PAN and then AG on the same schedule as the PAN + AG group. Animals were kept in metabolic cages, and urinary protein excretion and nitrite (NO 2 −) excretion were measured daily. PAN administration increased urinary NO 2 − excretion by day 2, and levels remained elevated through day 7. AG prevented this PAN-induced increase in urinary NO 2 − excretion. Plasma nitrate (NO 3 −) and NO 2 − (NOx) concentrations were also increased in the PAN and PAN + AG groups. iNOS protein expression was not detected in either the glomeruli or the cortex at day 7. Proteinuria developed in PAN animals on day 4 and increased steadily through day 7. PAN + AG animals showed a pattern similar to that of the PAN group. These results indicated that in contrast to models of proliferative glomerulonephritis, NO formation during PAN-induced nephrotic syndrome is increased but does not participate in the development of glomerular injury as measured by proteinuria.