Transcription and translation of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the pancreas of prediabetic BB rats

• Published in: FEBS letters Vol. 328; no. 1; pp. 9 - 12
• Main Authors: Kleemann, Rainer, Rothe, Helga, Kolb-Bachofen, Victoria, Xie, Qiao-wen, Nathan, Carl, Martin, Stephan, Kolb, Hubert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 09-08-1993; Elsevier
• Subjects: Amino Acid Oxidoreductases - genetics; Amino Acid Oxidoreductases - metabolism; Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; BB rat; Biological and medical sciences; cNOS, constitutive NOS; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - enzymology; Diabetes type 1; DNA Probes; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic - genetics; Immunoenzyme Techniques; iNOS, inducible NO synthase; Insulitis; Macrophages - enzymology; Male; Miscellaneous; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase; NO synthase; Pancreas - enzymology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Protein Biosynthesis; Rats; Rats, Inbred BB; Rats, Wistar; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Transcription, Genetic; Insulitis; NO synthase; Nitric oxide; BB rat; iNOS, inducible NO synthase; Diabetes type 1; cNOS, constitutive NOS; Endocrinopathy; Immunohistochemistry; Rat; Transcription; Enzyme; Diabetes mellitus; Rodentia; Genetical translation; Synthase; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Messenger RNA; Nitrogen monoxide; Pancreas
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-5793(93)80954-S

The inducible NO synthase (iNOS) was found to be expressed in pancreatic lesions of adult diabetes-prone BB rats. Pancreatic iNOS mRNA was detected by reverse transcriptase PCR in pancreatic RNA of adult diabetes-prone BB rats but not in normal Wistar rats, young diabetes-prone BB rats without insulitis or in diabetes-resistant BB rats. Immunohistochemistry of pancreatic sections using an iNOS-specific antiserum labeled the pancreas of adult diabetes-prone BB rats but not Wistar rats. Parallel staining for EDI-positive macrophages showed restriction of iNOS expression to areas of islet infiltration by macrophages. In conclusion, the data provide direct evidence for enhanced expression of inducible NO synthase in tissue lesions during the development of autoimmune diabetes.