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Background

Perturbation of iron metabolism, especially the increase of serum ferritin levels, is often associated with both inflammation and hypertension. Changes in iron availability can affect an important regulator of vascular tone, the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), activated by a heme-dependent dimerization.

Objective

To study the regulation of the anti-hypertensive eNOS in human endothelial cells, in correlation with iron metabolism alterations and stimuli triggering them in vivo, such as inflammation or infection.

Design

Cells were treated with stimuli mimicking infection or inflammation [lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and/or tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)]. and iron shortage (succinylacetone and desferrioxamine). The effect on eNOS expression and activation was evaluated, as well as ferritin content.

Methods

eNOS protein expression was evaluated by separating the monomeric from the active dimeric form by …