Purpose: To investigate the effects of nitroglycerin on the production of nitric oxide and its related pathway in cultured human trabecular meshwork cells (HTMC). Methods: Primarily cultured HTMC were exposed to 10 nM nitroglycerin using 1% serum-containing media for 30 minutes.The production of nitric oxide was assessed with the Griess assay and expressions of eNOS mRNA was assessed with RT-PCR. Additionally, the cells were exposed to wortmanin and Akt1/2 kinase inhibitor to investigate the mechanism related to the production of nitric oxide. Results: Nitroglycerin increased the production of nitric oxide (p < 0.05) accompanied with increased expression of eNOS mRNA. The increased production of nitric oxide and eNOS mRNA was inhibited by wortmanin and Akt1/2 kinase inhibitor. Conclusions: Low-dose nitroglycerin increased the production of nitric oxide accompanied by increased eNOS activity.Nitroglycerin drives eNOS activation via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.