Lipopolysaccharide induces nitric oxide synthase expression and platelet-activating factor increases nitric oxide production in human fetal membranes in culture

Platelet-activating factor and nitric oxide may be involved in the initiation of human labour as inflammatory mediators. The aim of this study was to test whether platelet-activating factor and lipopolysaccharide were able to induce nitric oxide synthase expression and stimulate the production of ni...

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Published in:	Reproductive biology and endocrinology Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 29
Main Authors:	Seyffarth, Gunter, Nelson, Paul N, Dunmore, Simon J, Rodrigo, Nalinda, Murphy, Damian J, Carson, Ray J
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England BioMed Central Ltd 10-06-2004 BioMed Central BMC
Subjects:	Culture Techniques Enzyme Induction - drug effects Extraembryonic Membranes - chemistry Extraembryonic Membranes - drug effects Extraembryonic Membranes - enzymology Humans Immunohistochemistry - methods Lipopolysaccharides - pharmacology Nitric Oxide - biosynthesis Nitric Oxide Synthase - biosynthesis Nitric Oxide Synthase - immunology Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II Platelet Activating Factor - pharmacology
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Summary:	Platelet-activating factor and nitric oxide may be involved in the initiation of human labour as inflammatory mediators. The aim of this study was to test whether platelet-activating factor and lipopolysaccharide were able to induce nitric oxide synthase expression and stimulate the production of nitric oxide in human fetal membrane explants in culture. Fetal membranes were collected from Caesarean sections at term. RNA was extracted from membranes and subjected to a qualitative RT-PCR to assess the baseline expression of iNOS. Discs of fetal membranes were cultured for 24 hours in the presence of platelet-activating factor at a dose range of 0.1 nanomolar--1 micomolar or 1 microgram/ml lipopolysaccharide. Nitric oxide production was measured via nitrite ions in the culture medium and mRNA for iNOS was detected by RT-PCR. Culturing the membrane discs in medium containing serum induced nitric oxide synthase expression and platelet-activating factor significantly stimulated the production of nitric oxide under these conditions. When cultured without serum inducible nitric oxide synthase expression was induced by lipopolysaccharide, but not by platelet-activating factor. Platelet-activating factor may have a role in the initiation of labour, at term or preterm, via the increased local production of nitric oxide as an inflammatory mediator. In this model of intrauterine infection, lipopolysaccharide was found to induce iNOS expression by fetal membranes, and this mechanism could be involved in preterm labour.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1477-7827 1477-7827
DOI:	10.1186/1477-7827-2-29