A. Cauwels et al., Protection against TNF-induced lethal shock by soluble guanylate cyclase inhibition requires functional inducible nitric oxide synthase, IMMUNITY, 13(2), 2000, pp. 223-231
Hypotension and shock observed in sepsis, SIRS, and tumor necrosis factor (
TNF) or cytokine-based cancer treatment are the consequence of excessive ni
tric oxide (NO) production and subsequent soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)-m
ediated vascular smooth muscle relaxation. We demonstrate here that, while
NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors exacerbated toxicity, inhibitors of sGC activa
tion protected against TNF-induced lethality, bradycardia, and hypotension.
Importantly, sGC inhibition did not interfere with the antitumor activity
of TNF. Using NOS inhibitors or iNOS-deficient animals, we furthermore obse
rved that no protection against TNF toxicity could be obtained in the absen
ce of NO. These data imply that iNOS- (and not eNOS-) derived NO is an endo
genous protective molecule indispensable to survive a TNF challenge and exe
rting this beneficial effect via sGC-independent mechanisms.