Nitric oxide inhibits spleen cell proliferative response after burn injury by inducing cytostasis, apoptosis, and necrosis of activated T lymphocytes: role of the guanylate cyclase.

We previously showed that an overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) by macrophages was responsible for the collapse of lymphoproliferative responses after burn injury in rats. First, we demonstrate here that 10 days post-burn, the inhibition of splenocyte response to concanavalin-A results from cytostatic, apoptotic, and necrotic effects of NO on activated T cells. This was evidenced by various criteria at the levels of DNA, mitochondria, and plasma membrane.

Role of nitric oxide in depressed lymphoproliferative responses and altered cytokine production following thermal injury in rats.

Immunodeficiency follows extensive burns. We investigated some underlying mechanisms in rats, 10 days after a full-thickness skin burn affecting 20% of total body surface area. In both normal and burned rats the splenocyte proliferative response to Con A was linearly and negatively correlated with nitric oxide (NO) production.

Inflammatory reactions induced by various calcium pyrophosphate crystals.

Various inflammatory reactions can be induced by different crystals responsible for various arthropathies. The aim of this work was to study modifications induced in the rat, locally and at distance, by intrapleural injection of 3 forms of pyrophosphate crystals (CaPP dihydrated monoclinic (M), CaPP dihydrated triclinic (T) and CaPP anhydrous (beta]. The data presented here show that the structure of irritants plays a decisive role in the kinetics of inflammatory reactions from a local and systemic point of view.

Prostanoid release by macrophages at a distance from an inflammatory site.

During the development of an acute inflammatory reaction induced in the rat pleural cavity by dextran, calcium pyrophosphate, saline or phosphate buffered saline, macrophages present at a distant site (peritoneal cavity) display an increased capacity to release prostanoids: prostaglandins, prostacyclin and thromboxane. Enhanced levels of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha were observed both in peritoneal lavages (experiments in vivo) and in macrophage supernatants after 24-h culture (experiments in vitro). TXB2 levels were mainly increased in peritoneal lavages and PGE2 in culture supernatants.