Mechanism of purinergic activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in endothelial cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Decreased endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) activity and NO production are critical contributors to the endothelial dysfunction and vascular complications observed in many diseases, including diabetes mellitus. Extracellular nucleotides activate eNOS and increase NO generation; however, the mechanism of this observation is not fully clarified.

Methods and results

To elucidate the signaling pathway(s) leading to nucleotide-mediated eNOS phosphorylation at Ser-1177, human umbilical vein endothelial cells were treated with several nucleotides, including ATP, UTP, and ADP, in the presence or absence of selective inhibitors. These experiments identified P2Y1, P2Y2, and possibly P2Y4 as the purinergic receptors involved in eNOS phosphorylation and demonstrat

SUBMITTER: da Silva CG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2702845 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature