Background-Nitric oxide (NO) production is increased in postischemic myocardium, and NO can control mitochondrial oxygen consumption in vitro. Therefore, we investigated the role of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS)-derived NO on in vivo regulation of oxygen consumption in the postischemic heart. Methods and Results-Mice were subjected to 30 minutes of coronary ligation followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion.Myocardial oxygen tension (PO 2 ) was monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance oximetry. In wild-type, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)-treated (with 1 mg/mL in drinking water), and eNOS knockout (eNOS Ϫ/Ϫ ) mice, no difference was observed among baseline myocardial PO 2 values (8.6Ϯ0.7, 10.0Ϯ1.2, and 10.1Ϯ1.2 mm Hg, respectively) or those measured at 30 minutes of ischemia (1.4Ϯ0.6, 2.3Ϯ0.9, and 3.1Ϯ1.4 mm Hg, respectively). After reperfusion, myocardial PO 2 increased markedly (PϽ0.001 versus baseline in each group) but was much lower in L-NAME-treated and eNOS Ϫ/Ϫ mice (17.4Ϯ1.6 and 20.4Ϯ1.9 mm Hg) than in wild-type mice (46.5Ϯ1.7 mm Hg; PϽ0.001). A transient peak of myocardial PO 2 was observed at early reperfusion in wild-type mice. No reactive hyperemia was observed during early reperfusion. Endothelial NO decreased the rate-pressure product (PϽ0.05), upregulated cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) mRNA expression (PϽ0.01) with no change in CcO activity, and inhibited NADH dehydrogenase (NADH-DH) activity (PϽ0.01) without alteration of NADH-DH mRNA expression. Peroxynitrite-mediated tyrosine nitration was higher in hearts from wild-type mice than in eNOS Ϫ/Ϫ or L-NAME-treated hearts.
Conclusions-eNOS-derived