DEXAMETHASONE INHIBITS NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE MESSENGER-RNA INDUCTION BY INTERLEUKIN-1-ALPHA AND TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA IN VASCULAR SMOOTH-MUSCLE CELLS

The effects of interleukin-1 alpha, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and dexamethasone on the induction of nitric oxide synthase mRNA in rat aortic smooth muscle cells were studied. Neither interleukin-1 alpha (up to 100 U/ml) nor tumor necrosis factor-alpha (up to 5000 U/ml) was capable of inducing nitrite/nitrate production and nitric oxide synthase mRNA in smooth muscle cells. In contrast, treatment for 12 hr or longer with a combination of the two synergistically induced nitrite/nitrate and cyclic GMP production in cell culture media and nitric oxide synthase mRNA, both of which were prevented by dexamethasone. Contamination with bacterial lipopolysaccharide, which may affect the induction of nitric oxide synthase, was below 30 pg/ml in all experiments. Our findings show that dexamethasone and these cytokines regulate the induction of nitric oxide synthase at the mRNA level in vascular smooth muscle cells.