L-arginine decreases heat shock protein 70 (marker of environmental stress) expression in kidney cells of rat fetuses during apoptosis--Late effect of Adriamycin action.

Both Adriamycin and nitric oxide (NO) cause apoptosis acting through or as free radicals inciting oxidative stress in the cell. However, in some tissues the anti-apoptotic action of NO was described, thereby the impact of NO on cell apoptosis is not finally recognized. In this study, a trial of the evaluation of exogenous NO (L-arginine) impact on apoptosis induced by Adriamycin in fetal kidney cells was undertaken. For this reason, the expression of Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP 70), environmental stress marker, as a sensitive biomarker of oxidative stress induced in fetal kidney cells with Adriamycin given to mothers prior to pregnancy was studied using immunohistochemical method. The expression of HSP 70 in fetal kidney cells, whose mothers received apart from Adriamycin, L-arginine (as NO substrate) was also evaluated. The results of the study pointed to the fact that the exogenous NO (L-arginine) could be helpful in inhibition of intensified apoptosis in fetal cells as a late effect of Adriamycin action.