Volume 53 (1): 45-53, 2005 Copyright ©The Histochemical Society, Inc. Upregulation of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase mRNA and Protein in Adrenal Medulla of Water-deprived Rats
Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (FJL,SSH,MCH,SCH,CHW,SJS); Department of Dermatology, National Cheng-Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan (FJL); Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (MCH,SCH,SJS); and University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (YCH) Correspondence to: Shyi-Jang Shin, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan First Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan. E-mail: sjshin{at}cc.kmu.edu.tw
Experiments were performed to investigate whether adrenal neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) mRNA and protein expression are responsive to alterations in body volume. Using an RT-PCR technique, the relative quantities of nNOS mRNA as well as the tyrosine hydroxylase and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase mRNA in the adrenals of water-deprived rats significantly increased from 12 hr to 4 days. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical study showed that water deprivation activated nNOS mRNA and protein expression in the adrenal medulla. Four days after water deprivation, nNOS protein expression determined by Western blot significantly increased in the adrenal gland. Our results are the first to demonstrate that nNOS syntheses in the adrenal medulla are markedly increased in water-deprived rats. This study also indicates that the upregulation of nNOS synthesis of the adrenal medulla is associated with the activation of adrenal medullary function in the face of volume depletion. (J Histochem Cytochem 53:4553, 2005)
Key Words: adrenal gland neuronal nitric oxide synthase water deprivation rats
NITRIC OXIDE (NO) IS AN IMPORTANT ENDOGENOUS BIOLOGICAL MODULATOR, produced by various cell types in different tissues and has diverse physiological actions, including the modulations of vascular resistance, tissue perfusion, blood pressure, and cell proliferation (Marletta 1989
Animal Experiments Male Wistar rats, 810 weeks of age and weighing between 290 and 360 g, purchased from the Experimental Animal Center, National Science Council, Taiwan, were housed individually in metabolic cages for 3 days before the start of the experiments. The rats were divided into two groups: water deprivation and normal control. Complete water deprivation was done on normal rats for 0.5, 1, 2, or 4 days (n=5, 5, 5, and 10, respectively). Body weight- and age-matched rats for 0.5, 1, 2, or 4 days (n=5, 5, 5, and 10, respectively) were given tap water to drink and were included as normal controls. All rats were fed normal rat laboratory chow. Body weight was recorded at the beginning and at the end of the experiments. Twenty-four-hour urine samples were collected continuously during the entire study period for catecholamine determination. The rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment by decapitation to collect blood and tissues. Truncal blood was collected in prechilled tubes containing EDTA (1 mg/ml) and aprotinin (500 kIU/ml), and plasma was stored at 20C until assay. The right adrenal of each animal was frozen and stored at 70C for RNA extraction and Western blot. The left adrenal was bisected and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for more than 10 hr, then paraffin-embedded, following standard procedures. Animal studies were approved by the Animal Care and Treatment Committee of our institution.
Plasma and Urine Samples
Isolation of Total RNA and Reverse Transcription
Multiplex PCR with "Primer Dropping"
In Situ Hybridization In situ hybridization was carried out as reported previously (Lai et al. 2000
Immunohistochemistry
Western Blot Analysis
Statistical Analysis
The laboratory data of 10 normal control and 10 water-deprived rat groups on the fourth study day are shown in Table 2. The mean amount of daily water intake in the normal control group was 29.7 ± 3.0 ml, whereas complete water deprivation was performed in the water-deprived rats. The mean body weight of water-deprived rats was significantly lower than that of the normal control group. The mean adrenal weight value of water-deprived rats was significantly increased as compared to that of normal control animals. The mean plasma sodium levels and plasma aldosterone concentrations also significantly increased, whereas plasma ANP concentrations were lower in the water-deprived group after 4 days of water deprivation. The mean urine volume value was significantly lower in the water-deprived group than in the normal control group. Mean 24-hr urinary epinephrine and norepinephrine excretion rates for rats before and after water deprivation are shown in Table 3. After water deprivation, the 24-hr epinephrine and norepinephrine excretion rates from days 1 to 4 were significantly higher. The plasma osmolality and plasma renin activity of normal and water-deprived rats on days 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 are shown in Figure 1. In water-deprived groups, the plasma osmolality and plasma renin activity from days 1 to 4 were significantly higher.
Water Deprivation Increases Adrenal nNOS, TH, and PNMT mRNA To determine the relative changes in tissue nNOS, TH, PNMT and StAR mRNA expression, the yields of nNOS, TH, PNMT, and StAR cDNA PCR products were normalized to the amount of ß-actin cDNA amplified from the same tube. Figure 2A shows the results of multiplex RT-PCR amplification of nNOS and ß-actin in the adrenals from three representative normal control rats and five representative water-deprived rats on day 4. The relative ratios of the cDNA product for nNOS with those for ß-actin in the adrenals are shown in the lower panel of Figure 2A. Significantly increased nNOS mRNA levels were observed in the adrenals of water-deprived rats from 12 hr to 4 days. Figure 2B shows the results of the PCR amplification of TH and ß-actin in the adrenals from the five representative normal control rats and the five representative water-deprived rats on day 1. The relative ratios of the cDNA product for TH with those for ß-actin in the adrenals are shown in the lower panel of Figure 2B. Significantly increased TH mRNA levels were observed in the adrenals of water-deprived rats from 12 hr to 4 days. Figure 2C shows the results of the PCR amplification of PNMT and ß-actin in the adrenals from five representative normal control rats and five representative water-deprived rats on day 0.5. The relative ratios of the cDNA product for PNMT with those for ß-actin in the adrenals are shown in the lower panel of Figure 2C. Significantly increased PNMT mRNA levels were observed in the adrenals of water-deprived rats from 12 hr to 4 days. Figure 2D shows the results of the PCR amplification of StAR and ß-actin in the adrenals from the five representative normal control rats and the five representative water-deprived rats on day 0.5. The relative ratios of the cDNA product for StAR with those for ß-actin in the adrenals are shown in the lower panel of Figure 2D. No significant difference in StAR mRNA levels was observed in the adrenals of water-deprived rats from 12 hr to 4 days.
Water Deprivation Enhances Adrenal nNOS mRNA Distribution We determined directly how nNOS mRNA was distributed through in situ hybridization of adrenal sections from normal control (Figures 3A3C) and water-deprived (Figures 3E3G) rats on day 4 using a specific cRNA probe for nNOS. In normal control rats, the signal of adrenal nNOS mRNA was detected mainly in the medulla and also in the zona glomerulosa. In water-deprived rats on day 4, the density of nNOS mRNA hybridization increased in the medulla relative to that in normal controls. Positive staining was found in the cytoplasm and nucleus of parenchymal cells (Figures 3C and 3G). We detected no signal using a sense cRNA probe (Figures 3D and 3H).
Water Deprivation Enhances Adrenal nNOS Immunoreactive Distribution Immunohistochemical localization of the nNOS in the adrenal gland was determined in both groups (Figure 4). The zonal distribution of adrenal nNOS immunostaining was well in accordance with that of adrenal nNOS mRNA by in situ hybridization. In normal control rats, nNOS staining was detected in the adrenal medulla and slightly in the zona glomerulosa (Figures 4A4C). After 4 days of water deprivation, the adrenal nNOS immunostaining was enhanced in the medulla (Figures 4E4G). Positive staining was restricted to the cytoplasm of parenchymal cells as fine granules. No immunoreactive labeling was observed when the sections were incubated with preabsorbed antibodies (Figures 4D and 4H).
Water Deprivation Increases Adrenal nNOS The effect of water deprivation on the expression of nNOS protein in the adrenal gland was determined using Western blot. Four days after water deprivation, the nNOS protein expression was significantly higher in the adrenal gland (Figure 5A). The relative ratios of the protein for nNOS with those for ß-actin in the adrenals are also shown in Figure 5B.
The present study demonstrates that nNOS mRNA and protein expression was strongly activated in the adrenal medulla of water-deprived rats in association with the activation of adrenal medullary function. This conclusion is based on the following findings: (a) nNOS mRNA and nNOS levels were significantly enhanced in the adrenal glands of water-deprived rats in conjunction with the activation of the intra-adrenal TH mRNA and PNMT mRNA after water deprivation from study day 0.5 to day 4; (b) the intensity of staining for nNOS mRNA in the cells of adrenal medulla was markedly increased in water-deprived rats; (c) the immunoreactive staining for nNOS in adrenal medulla was also enhanced; and (d) plasma renin activity, angiotensin II, aldosterone, and urine 24-hr epinephrine and norepinephrine excretion rate were significantly higher in water-deprived rats.
Kishimoto et al. (1996)
Although the adrenal glands were found to be able to synthesize nNOS, very few studies have investigated the change of adrenal-derived nNOS in pathophysiological conditions. In 1995, Iwai et al. showed that nNOS mRNA expression of the decapsular portion of adrenal glands in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) significantly decreased compared to that in WistarKyoto rats. The administration of angiotensin II antagonist, hydralazine, or reserpine enhanced nNOS mRNA expression in both SHR and WistarKyoto rats (Iwai et al. 1995
Water deprivation results in changes in the hormone secretions regulating the fluid and electrolyte balance. These changes maintain normal tissue perfusion in central nervous and cardiovascular systems in volume depletion (Yared et al. 1985
Several investigations have demonstrated that NO, sodium nitroprusside, and 8-bromo-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP) produce a marked inhibition of acetylcholine- and KCl-stimulated catecholamine secretion in bovine chromaffin cells (Oset-Gasque et al. 1994 In summary, our results show that the levels of nNOS mRNA and protein in the adrenal medulla of water-deprived rats were markedly enhanced in conjunction with these increases of intraadrenal TH mRNA and PNMT mRNA from 12 hr to 4 days, of 24-hr urinary epinephrine and norepinephrine excretion rates, and of serum aldosterone levels. The findings of this study indicate that the upregulation of nNOS synthesis in the adrenal medulla may be involved in the alteration of adrenomedullary function in the face of volume depletion.
This work was supported by grants (NSC 90-2314-B-037-047 and NSC 91-2314-B-037-233) from the National Science Council, Taiwan; and grant RE86M018C from National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan (FJL). We are indebted to Dr Chiang-Shin Liu, Dr Kun-Bow Tsai, Ms Chia-Lin Chen, Ms Yu-Hsiu Tung, Ms Pei-Chun Tsai, Mr Ming-Shih Li, Ms Yu-Hsiu Lee, Mr Chu-Ho Hung, and Ms Ching-Wen Wu for their excellent assistance.
Received for publication April 14, 2004; accepted September 13, 2004
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