A. Kasuga et al., NITRIC-OXIDE IS IMPORTANT FOR MOUSE BETA-CELL LINE KILLING BY PERITONEAL-EXUDATE CELLS OBTAINED FROM CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE-TREATED NONOBESE DIABETIC MICE, Endocrine journal, 42(2), 1995, pp. 259-263
Macrophages from recent onset non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice showed cyt
otoxicity against the NOD mouse derived beta-cell line, MIN6N-9a. In t
his report, we examined whether nitric oxide is associated with beta-c
ell destruction. Peritoneal exudate cells (PEG), obtained from cycloph
osphamide treated NOD mice showed higher cytotoxicity against MIN6N-9a
compared to PECs from saline injected NOD mice (P<0.01). This effect
was suppressed in cells incubated with 0.5 mmol/l N-G-methyl-L-arginin
e, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (P<0.001). In addition, the nitri
te concentration of the co-culture medium, as an index of nitric oxide
production, increased in MIN6N-9a cells co-cultured with peritoneal e
xudate cells from cyclophosphamide injected NOD mice but not in co-cul
ture with saline injected NOD mice (P<0.05). Thus, nitric oxide plays
an important role in beta-cell line destruction of macrophages obtaine
d from NOD mice.