NOC, A NITRIC-OXIDE-RELEASING COMPOUND, INDUCES DOSE-DEPENDENT APOPTOSIS IN MACROPHAGES

The ability of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) to induce apoptosis in macr ophages was analyzed using NOC, a NO-releasing compound, as a source o f NO. Exogenous NO was shown to induce apoptosis in a dose dependent m anner. Quantitative analysis revealed that the amount of NO required t o induce apoptosis in more than half of macrophages exposed was 100 ti mes larger than that for endogenous NO-induced apoptosis. NOC proved t o be a convenient and useful tool for investigation of apoptosis relat ed to NO. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.