Nitric oxide inhibits proliferation of human endothelial cells via a mechanism independent of cGMP.

Endothelial cell-derived nitric oxide (NO) has been suggested to inhibit smooth muscle cell proliferation, resulting in the reduction of intimal hyperplasia during atherogenesis. The present study investigates the role of NO from exogenous and endogenous sources on the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and human coronary artery endothelial cells (CAEC). Three different NO-generating compounds [sodium nitroprusside (SNP), S-nitroso-glutathione (GSNO) and S-nitroso-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP)] were found to inhibit endothelial cell proliferation measured with three independent methods (cell counting, [3H]thymidine incorporation, DNA histograms) with significant inhibition occurring at concentrations > or = 100 microM. Growth-inhibiting effects were observed after long-term treatment (18-96 h) as well as after short stimulation with NO donors (10 min with a subsequent NO donor-free culture period of 18 h) and were comparable in culture medium (20% serum, growth factor supplementation) and serum-deficient medium (1% serum). The NO donor effects were mediated by the release of NO as they were prevented by NO scavenging. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was found not to interfere with these effects suggesting that peroxynitrite formation was unlikely to be involved. 1H-[l,2,4]Oxadiazolo[4,3,-alpha]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), a specific inhibitor of the soluble guanylate cyclase, was observed not to alter the antiproliferative effects of NO donors although it completely prevented NO-mediated increase of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP), suggesting that the NO-induced growth inhibition was not mediated by cGMP. Furthermore, inhibition of endogenous NO production by N-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) did not affect endothelial cell growth regardless of using serum plus growth factor supplement, growth factor supplement alone, or thrombin to stimulate proliferation. We suggest that constitutively synthesized NO may not regulate endothelial cell proliferation whereas the growth-inhibiting NO effects may occur when an inducible NO synthase associated with a persistently high NO production is expressed in the atherosclerotic vessel wall.