Effect of cAMP on inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression: its dual and cell-specific functions

The effects of some cAMP-elevating agents on the induction of nitric oxide synthase II (NOS II) were investigated for a macrophage-derived cell line, RAW264.7, stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and the results were compared for the case of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) stimulated with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). Forskolin, dibutyryl cAMP, and a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 3-isobutyl-1-methyl xanthine, resulted in an elevated production of nitrite and nitrate, NOS II activities, NOS II mRNA accumulation, and the protein level in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with LPS or IFN-gamma. However, the addition of combinations of these reagents decreased these levels in RAW264.7 cells, but enhanced them in VSMC that had been stimulated with IL-1 beta. When intracellular cAMP levels in VSMC were measured, they were elevated by about 100 times more in the forskolin-treated cells, compared to the untreated cells. Stimulated RAW264.7 cells, on the other hand, produced much lower levels of cAMP than VSMC. It is likely that cAMP functions in two opposing directions in terms of NOS II gene induction in RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of cAMP-elevating agents on promoter activities of the 5'-flanking region of the mouse NOS II gene were then examined. The promoter activities were enhanced in RAW264.7 cells, even in the presence of all three cAMP-elevating agents. Although the binding of NF-kappa B to responsive elements is essential for the induction of the NOS II gene, cAMP-elevating agents had no effect on NF-kappa B binding to the element, thus eliminating the involvement of NF-kappa B in the suppression of the NOS II gene by high concentrations of cAMP. These data suggest that a putative responsive element to high levels of cAMP is present outside of the region examined in this study. The inhibitory effects of cAMP in RAW264.7 cells would be due to the presence of a negative regulatory factor that is absent in VSMC.