Nitric oxide induces tau hyperphosphorylation via glycogen synthase kinase-3β activation

Nitric oxide is associated with neurofibrillary tangle, which is composed mainly of hyperphosphorylated tau in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the role of nitric oxide in tau hyperphosphorylation is unclear. Here we show that nitric oxide produced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a recognized donor of nitric oxide, induces tau hyperphosphorylation at Ser396/404 and Ser262 in HEK293/tau441 cells with a simultaneous activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). Pretreatment of the cells with 10 mM lithium chloride (LiCl), an inhibitor of GSK-3, 1 h before SNP administration inhibits GSK-3β activation and prevents tau from hyperphosphorylation. This is the first direct evidence demonstrating that nitric oxide induces AD-like tau hyperphosphorylation in vitro, and GSK-3β activation is partially responsible for the nitric oxide-induced tau hyperphosphorylation. It is suggested that nitric oxide may be an upstream element of tau abnormal hyperphosphorylation in AD.