A study on the activity of nitric oxide in alveolar macrophages from patients with lung cancer
Hu, C.; Li, G.; Wu, E.
Hunan Yi Ke da Xue Xue Bao 23(2): 157-160
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 1000-5625 PMID: 10681832 Document Number: 494360
Nitrite and nitrate (NO2-/NO2-) in the bronchus alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the supernatants of incubated alveolar macrophages (AMs) from patients with primary lung cancer were measured by copper-coated cadmium reduction and Griess method. Mrna expression of AM induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were analyzed by RT-PCR. There was NO2-/NO2- in BALF either from lung cancer patients or from control subjects. When compared with control group and the nontumor-bearing lung, the level of NO2-/NO2-was lower in BALF from the tumor-bearing lung [5.18+/-1.1 vs 2.47+/-0.67nmol x mg protein-1 (P< 0.01); 4.65+/- 2.46 vs 2.47+/- 0.67nmol x mg protein-1(P< 0.01)]. We also found a lower level of NO2-/NO2- in the supernatants of incubated AMs from the lung of cancer patients than from control and nontumor-bearing lung [95.03+/- 21.76 vs 63.37+/- 17.58nmol (P< 0.01); 85.61+/- 16.70 vs 63.37+/- 17.58nmol (P< 0.05)]. No significant difference existed between the MRNA expression of AM iNOS in lung cancer patients (69%) and that of control subjects (91%). After the AMs were stimulated with granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), the level of NO2-/NO2- in the supernatants was significantly increased (P< 0.01); while the mRNA expression of AM iNOS from patients with lung cancer resulted in an increase of 16.85+/- 7.58% vs 33.38+/- 8.21% of control group (P< 0.05). These observation suggest that some defects of antitumor function occur in the AMs at the tumor region. GM-CSF can stimulate AMs and thus potentiate their NO activity.