Direct Administration of Interleukin-1 and Interferon- to Rat Pancreas Leads to the In Vivo Production of Nitric Oxide and Expression of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Inducible Cyclooxygenase

Proinflammatory cytokines may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). In vitro, the formation of nitric oxide (NO) catalyzed by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) has been shown to be involved in the cytotoxic effects of cytokines on pancreatic β cells. Cytokines have also been shown to cause the expression of inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2) in isolated islets.