Involvement of peroxynitrite and hydroxyradical generated from nitric oxide in hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in rat cerebrocortical slices.

The changes in nitric oxide (NO) formation during hypoxia and reoxygenation were measured in slices of rat cerebral cortex, and the possible involvement of NO and its decomposition products, including peroxynitrite and hydroxyradical, in the hypoxia/reoxygenation injury was subsequently investigated. NO formation estimated from cGMP accumulation in the extracellular fluids was enhanced during hypoxia and to a lesser extent in the reoxygenation period. The mRNA for inducible NO synthase (NOS) was detected 3-5 h after reoxygenation, although neuronal NOS mRNA decreased after reoxygenation. Several NOS inhibitors such as N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine blocked not only the NO formation but also the hypoxia/reoxygenation injury as determined by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. The hypoxia/reoxygenation injury was prevented by peroxynitrite scavengers including deferoxamine and uric acid, or several hydroxyradical scavengers such as dimethylthiourea, 2-mercaptopropionylglycine and D(-) mannitol. In addition, the hypoxia/reoxygenation injury was attenuated by poly(ADP-ribose)synthetase inhibitors such as banzamide, 3-aminobenzamide and 1,5-isoquinolinediol. On the other hand, both N-morpholinosidnonimine, a peroxynitrite generator, and hydroxyradical-liberating solution containing FeCl(3)-ADP and dihydroxyfumarate caused a marked LDH leakage in normoxic slices. These findings suggest that the enhanced formation of NO causes hypoxia/reoxygenation injury after degradation to peroxynitrite and hydroxyradical and the resultant activation of poly(ADP-ribose)synthetase.