CONSTITUTIVE ENDOTHELIAL NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE (ECNOS) GENE-EXPRESSION IN HUMAN MONOCYTES

This study evaluates using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based mol ecular biological approach to study the gene expression of the constit utive endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) in human mo nocytes. When PCR was carried out with specific primers for ecNOS, 302 bp product was amplified, which sequence analysis determined as havin g 100% identity to the reported human ecNOS isoform gene sequence. The data presented here demonstrate a reliable technique for assessing ec NOS mRNA levels in circulating human monocytes. This then permits use of this easily available cell to monitor ecNOS levels and provides a m eans to investigate mechanisms involved in controlling NO synthase lev els as well as NO synthesis.