Nitric oxide regulation of IL-8 expression in human endothelial cells

The regulatory signals required to induce the production of IL-8, an important neutrophil chemoattractant and activator, have yet to be clearly defined. We examined the role of nitric oxide (NO) in IL-8 regulation. The NO synthase inhibitor, (L)-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME), inhibited the TNF-stimulated IL-8 production in the human endothelial cell line, ECV304, in a dose-dependent manner without affecting cellular viability (TNF alone, 5.5 +/- 0.9 ng/ml; TNF + 5 mM L-NAME, 2.4 +/- 0.5 ng/ml). Moreover, exogenously added NO produced by the spontaneous NO generating compounds, S-Nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-pennicillamine (SNAP) and Ethanamine, 2,2'-(hydroxynitrosohydrazono)bis- (DETA NONOate), induced a dose-dependent release of IL-8 from these cells. Maximal stimulation of IL-8 was found to be 1.2 +/- 0.1 ng/ml with the 1 mM concentration of SNAP and 1.6 +/- 0.1 ng/ml with the 2 mM concentration of DETA NONOate. These results provide key evidence substantiating a regulatory role of NO in IL-8 expression.