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Mechanisms of aluminium neurotoxicity in oxidative stress-induced ...

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INTRODUCTION<br />

Nitric oxide<br />

42<br />

There is evidence that not only ROS but also the metabolism <strong>of</strong> NO, a free<br />

radical, may play a part <strong>in</strong> <strong>oxidative</strong> damage <strong>in</strong> PD (Gerlach et al. 1999, Torreilles et al.<br />

1999, Boje 2004). NO is synthesized from L-arg<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>e by three is<strong>of</strong>orms <strong>of</strong> nitric oxide<br />

synthase (NOS): <strong>in</strong>ducible (iNOS), endothelial (eNOS), and neuronal NOS (nNOS),<br />

us<strong>in</strong>g NADPH and molecular oxygen (Kavya et al. 2006). NO has long been recognized<br />

as a signal<strong>in</strong>g molecule for vasodilatation and neurotransmission but it has many<br />

important functions <strong>in</strong> other physiologic systems, such as <strong>in</strong> the immune, respiratory,<br />

neuromuscular and nervous systems. Moreover, NO also participates <strong>in</strong> pathogenic<br />

pathways. It can react with other ROS to generate the highly toxic RNS (Reynolds et al.<br />

2007, Szabo et al. 2007). As depicted <strong>in</strong> Figure 19 NO can react with O2 ●─ to form the<br />

more reactive ONOO ●─ . Peroxynitrite is known to promote cellular damages by means<br />

<strong>of</strong> lipid peroxidation, DNA fragmentation, prote<strong>in</strong> nitration, and activation <strong>of</strong> caspase<br />

dependent and/or <strong>in</strong>dependent cell death pathways (Beckman and Koppenol 1996, Hong<br />

et al. 2004, Szabo et al. 2007). Additionnally, when reacted with H + or CO2, ONOO ●─<br />

can further convert to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ● OH, two highly toxic <strong>in</strong>termediates.<br />

Prote<strong>in</strong> modifications by NO and/or ONOO ●─ such as S-nitrosylation and nitration may<br />

affect cell survival. Prote<strong>in</strong> nitration by NO or ONOO ●─ usually <strong>in</strong>serts a nitro (-NO2)<br />

group onto one <strong>of</strong> the two carbons <strong>of</strong> the aromatic r<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> tyros<strong>in</strong>e residues to form<br />

nitrotyros<strong>in</strong>e (Gow et al. 2004). On the other hand S-nitrosylation, which also happens<br />

under both physiologic and pathogenic conditions, regulates gene transcription,<br />

vesicular traffick<strong>in</strong>g, receptor mediated signal transduction, and apoptosis (Chung<br />

2007). Many enzymes, receptors and neuroprotective prote<strong>in</strong>s may be modified by NO<br />

through their reactive cyste<strong>in</strong>e (CySH) thiols to form the correspond<strong>in</strong>g nitrosothiols<br />

(Stamler et al. 1992, Ahern et al. 2002, Hess et al. 2005, Chung 2007).

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