eNOS plays an important role in the regulation of colonic inflammation: A novel therapeutic target and a predictive marker for the prognosis of ulcerative colitis

AbstractBackground. We reported that deficiency of the eNOS protein exacerbates colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS-induced colitis). However, the role of eNOS in colitis remains controversial. Therefore, we studied how over-expression of eNOS affected this inflammatory condition, using vascular endothelial cells and mice as in vitro and in vivo models, respectively. Furthermore, we investigated the influence of a polymorphism in the eNOS gene on the clinical features of ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods. We examined the effect of eNOS overexpression on the expression of adhesion molecules in the endothelium and assessed the degree of DSS-induced colitis in eNOS transgenic (eNOS-Tg) mice. We also investigated the relationship between a polymorphism in the eNOS gene and clinical features of patients with UC. Results. The expression of adhesion molecules, under inflammatory conditions, was attenuated in eNOS gene-transfected vascular endothelial cells, as measured by western blot analysis. Symptom...