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Nitric oxide synthase activity in Fasciola hepatica: a radiometric study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2003

N. B. TERENINA ,
M. V. ONUFRIEV ,
N. V. GULYAEVA ,
Y. V. MOISEEVA  and
M. K. S. GUSTAFSSON
N. B. TERENINA
Affiliation:
Institute of Parasitology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Lenin Avenue 33, 117071 Moscow, Russia
M. V. ONUFRIEV
Affiliation:
Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Department of Functional Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5a Butlerov Street, 117865 Moscow, Russia
N. V. GULYAEVA
Affiliation:
Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Department of Functional Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 5a Butlerov Street, 117865 Moscow, Russia
Y. V. MOISEEVA
Affiliation:
Institute of Parasitology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Lenin Avenue 33, 117071 Moscow, Russia
M. K. S. GUSTAFSSON
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Artillerigatan 6, FIN-20520 Åbo, Finland
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Abstract

The activity of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in homogenates of adult Fasciola hepatica was measured by the direct radiometric assay of the production of L-[3H]citrulline. This is the first radiometric study of the activity of nNOS in a fluke. The effect of arginase was tested. In the presence of L-valine, which is an inhibitor of arginase, the formation of L-[3H]citrulline decreased from 12% to 38%, depending on the time of incubation. This means that the arginase activity in the worm is high, and has to be taken into consideration when measuring the activity of nNOS. When co-factors, such as H4B, and NADPH, were omitted the formation of L-[3H]citrulline decreased significantly (29%). The effects of several nNOS inhibitors were tested. N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NAME), aminoguanidine and S-methyl-L-thiocitrulline added at a concentration of 1 mM inhibited the L-[3H]citrulline formation by 28%, 15% and 14%, respectively. Chelation of Ca2+ with 1 mM EGTA resulted in a 40% decrease in the formation of L-[3H]citrulline. These results indicate the presence of nNOS activity in homogenates of F. hepatica.

Keywords

Fasciola hepaticanitric oxidenitric oxide synthasenitric oxide synthase inhibitors
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 126 , Issue 6 , June 2003 , pp. 585 - 590
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press

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