Decrease of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat cerebral cortex

We reported in our previous study that constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) activity significantly decreased and oxygen stress increased in the 31-week-old stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHRSP) cerebral cortex (CC). In the present study we examined the protein amount of two cNOS isoforms, the neuronal and the endothelial types, in SHRSP CC using Western blot analysis. Although no significant difference was observed in the amount of neuronal NOS (nNOS) protein, endothelial NOS (eNOS) protein prominently decreased in 31-week-old SHRSP CC compared to age-matched Wistar Kyoto rat and 15-week-old SHRSP. In rats at this age, we also observed a large quantity of albumin in the protein amount. However, the protein amount of heat shock protein 70, which is a molecular chaperon and a marker of injury, showed no significant changes. These results indicate that the alteration of eNOS but not of nNOS protein would be more closely associated with the development of stroke in SHRSP. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.