RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Effect of L-arginine infusion on airway NO in cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia syndrome
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 114
OP 118
DO 10.1183/09031936.99.13111499
VO 13
IS 1
A1 H Grasemann
A1 SS Gartig
A1 HG Wiesemann
A1 H Teschler
A1 N Konietzko
A1 F Ratjen
YR 1999
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/13/1/114.abstract
AB Airway nitric oxide concentrations in patients with cystic fibrosis or primary ciliary dyskinesia syndrome have been shown to be lower than in healthy subjects. Decreased NO concentrations may contribute to impaired ciliary clearance, respiratory tract infections, or obstructive lung disease in these conditions. Nasal and exhaled NO concentrations were compared before and after infusion of 500 mg x kg(-1) L-arginine, the substrate of NO synthases, in 11 cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, seven primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) syndrome patients, and 11 control subjects. Baseline nasal and exhaled NO concentrations were significantly lower in both CF and PCD syndrome patients than in controls (p<0.01). In controls, the maximum increase of NO was seen immediately after L-arginine infusion in the upper airways (1.8-fold) and 3 h after the infusion in the lower airways (1.4-fold). Although NO concentrations also increased significantly in both CF (1.9-fold and 1.6-fold, respectively) and PCD syndrome patients (1.4-fold and 1.8-fold, respectively), concentrations remained subnormal compared with baseline values of controls. Pulmonary function remained unchanged in both patient groups. In conclusion, the low airway nitric oxide formation in both cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia syndrome patients can be augmented by L-arginine administration. The finding that pulmonary function remained unchanged in both conditions may be due to the fact that normalization of airway nitric oxide concentrations could not be achieved.