Prolonged exposure of rodent ␤-cells to combinations of cytokines induces the inducible form of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and Fas expression, nitric oxide (NO) production, and cell death. It also induces the expression of potential "defense" genes, such as manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and heat shock protein (hsp) 70. NO is a radical with multifaceted actions. Recent studies have shown that NO, in addition to having cytotoxic actions, may regulate gene transcription. It remains unclear whether NO mediates cytokine-induced gene expression and subsequent ␤-cell death. Previous studies using NO synthase blockers yielded conflicting results, which may be due to nonspecific effects of these agents. In this study, we examined the effects of cytokines on gene expression, determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and viability, determined by nuclear dyes, of pancreatic islets or fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS)-purified ␤-cells isolated from iNOS knockout mice (iNOS -/ -, background C57BL/6x129SvEv) or their respective controls (C57BL/6x129SvEv). The combination of cytokines used was interleukin-1␤ (50 U/ml) plus ␥-interferon (1,000 U/ml) plus tumor necrosis factor-␣ (1,000 U/ml). The lack of cytokine-induced iNOS activity in the iNOS -/-islet cells was confirmed by RT-PCR and nitrite determination. Cytokines induced a >3-fold increase in Fas and MnSOD mRNA expression in wild-type (WT) and iNOS -/-islets. On the other hand, hsp 70 was induced in WT but not in iNOS -/-islets. Prolonged (6-9 days) exposure of WT islets to cytokines leads to an 80-90% decrease in islet cell viability, whereas viability decreased by only 10-30% in iNOS -/-islet cells. To determine the mode of cytokine-induced cell death, FACS-purified ␤-cells were exposed to the same cytokines. After 9 days, the apoptosis index was similarly increased in WT (39 ± 3%) and iNOS -/-(33 ± 4%) ␤-cells. On the other hand, cytokines increased necrosis in WT (20 ± 4%) but not in iNOS -/-(7 ± 3%) ␤-cells. From these data, we concluded that 1) NO is required for cytokine-induced hsp 70 mRNA expression but not for Fas and MnSOD expression, 2) cytokines induce both apoptosis and necrosis in mouse ␤-cells, and 3) cytokine-induced apoptosis is mostly NO-independent, whereas necrosis requires NO formation. Diabetes

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Apart from numerous applications, for example in azo dye precursors, explosives, and industrial processes, the nitro group (−NO2) appears on countless molecules in photochemical research owing to its unique characteristics such as a strong electron‐withdrawing ability and facile conversion to the reduced substituent. Although it is well known as a fluorescence quencher, fluorescent chromophores that contain the nitro group have also emerged, with 3‐nitrophenothiazine being recently reported to have 100 % emission quantum yield in nonpolar solvents. The diverse characters of nitro‐containing chromophores motivated us to systematically review those chromophores with nitro substituents, their associated photophysical properties, and applications. In this Review, we succinctly elaborate the advance of the fluorescent nitro chromophores in fields of intramolecular charge transfer, fluorescent probes and nonlinear properties. Special attention is paid to the rationalization of the associated emission spectroscopy, so that the readers can gain insights into the structure‐photophysics relationship and hence gain insights for the strategic design of nitro chromophores.

In type 1 diabetes, autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta-cells has been attributed to cytokines released from infiltrating immunocytes. Exposure of isolated islets to cytokines leads to nitric oxide (NO) production, which can damage beta-cells. Because ductal cells are closely associated with human beta-cells, we examined whether they can contribute to this process. Isolated human ductal cells were cultured for 48 h with various cytokines. The combination of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) plus interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) increased nitric oxide production 12-fold while stimulating mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). In this condition, 10-20% of cells positive for the cytokeratin-19 duct marker also stained positive for iNOS protein, whereas no positive cells were found in control preparations. Comparison of the magnitude of iNOS mRNA expression and nitric oxide production in these cells with that in isolated human islets suggests that >50% of total islet nitric oxide production might originate from associated ductal cells. It is concluded that ductal cells are a potential source of nitric oxide production in human islets infiltrated by cytokine-releasing immunocytes.