Nitric oxide donor-induced persistent inhibition of cell adhesion protein expression and NFkappaB activation in endothelial cells.

Nitric oxide (NO), applied by inhalation or released from NO donors, has been used to reduce the expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAM) and ameliorate other consequences of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. In this study, we have assessed the time frames of pretreatment and of the duration of the preconditioned state using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the NO donor, SNAP, in combination with cysteine. The induction of vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM), intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) and E-selectin by the cytokines TNFalpha and IL-1beta, and by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was reduced by SNAP/Cys preincubation (30 min, 1mM) to less than 10% of controls.