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Selective Targeting of Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors to System y+ in Activated Macrophages

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Abstract

Amino acid transport systems mediating uptake of nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitors were characterized in the murine macrophage cell line J774. Treatment of J774 cells with bacterial endotoxin (LPS, 1 μg ml−1, 24 h) selectively increased the transport capacity for NG-monomethyl-L-[14C]arginine (L-NMMA), whereas transport of NG-nitro-L[3H]arginine (L-NNA) was unaffected. Inhibition studies established that the cationic transport system y+ mediates uptake of L-arginine, L-NMMA and NG-iminoethyl-L-ornithine (L-NIO). A neutral transporter, with low substrate specificity and insensitive to LPS, mediates uptake of L-citrulline, L-NNA and its methyl ester L-NAME. We conclude that enhanced expression of the y+ transporter in LPS-stimulated macrophages (1) may facilitate the targeting of selective inhibitors of inducible NO synthase to activated cells generating NO in endotoxin shock.

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