Role of nitric oxide and superoxide anion in leukotoxin-, 9,10-epoxy-12-octadecenoate-induced mitochondrial dysfunction

The present study was carried out to explore the involvement of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anion (O-2(.-)) in Leukotoxin (Lx)-induced suppression of mitochondrial respiration. Glutamate- and succinate-dependent oxygen consumption and cytochrome c oxidase activity were assayed. Lx-induced mitochondrial damage was significantly attenuated by the pretreatment of lung with 4 x 10(-4) M N-G-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) or 500 units/ml superoxide dismutase (SOD) in ex vivo. However, L-NMMA plus SOD pretreatment showed no additive effect on the recovery of mitochondrial functions. The same assay was performed after the exposure of intact mitochondria to NO containing solution (1.25 x 10(-5) M) or 0.1 mM KO2/18-Crown-6 solution, which generated O-2(.-) (6.4 x 10(-5) M). NO, but not O-2(.-), significantly inhibited the respiration of isolated mitochondria in vitro. Thus, there were great discrepancies in the involvement of NO and O-2(.-) between ex vivo and in vitro system. Together with the previous reports, these facts suggested that the mechanisms by which NO and O-2(.-) probably from vascular constituent cells inhibit mitochondrial respiration function of isolated perfused rat lung may not be simply due to their direct reactions with mitochondrial electron transport chain components, but may rely on the formation of peroxynitrite, and/or peroxynitrite-derived oxidants.