Hypoxia sensitizes cells to nitric oxide-induced apoptosis

Vivian Y. Lee, David S. McClintock, Matthew T. Santore, G. R. Scott Budinger, Navdeep S. Chandel*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

49 Scopus citations

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) can induce apoptosis in a variety of cell types. A non-toxic concentration of nitric oxide under normal oxygen conditions triggered cell death under hypoxic conditions (1.5% O2) in fibroblasts. Nitric oxide administered during hypoxia induced the release of cytochrome c, caspase-9 activation, and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential followed by DNA fragmentation and lactate dehydrogenase release (markers of cell death). Bcl-XL protected cells from nitric oxide-induced apoptosis during hypoxia by preventing the release of cytochrome c, caspase-9 activation, and by maintaining a mitochondrial membrane potential. Murine embryonic fibroblasts from bax-/- bak-/- mice exposed to nitric oxide during hypoxia did not die, indicating that pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members are required for NO-induced apoptosis during hypoxia. The nitric oxide-induced cell death during hypoxia was independent of cGMP and peroxynitrite. Cells devoid of mitochondrial DNA (p°-cells) lack a functional electron transport chain and were resistant to nitric oxide-induced cell death during hypoxia, suggesting that a functional electron transport chain is required for nitric oxide-induced apoptosis during hypoxia.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)16067-16074
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume277
Issue number18
DOIs
StatePublished - May 3 2002

Funding

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology

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