Elsevier

Nitric Oxide

Volume 2, Issue 1, February 1998, Pages 1-7
Nitric Oxide

Brief Review
Nonenzymatic Nitric Oxide Production in Humans

https://doi.org/10.1006/niox.1997.0162Get rights and content

Abstract

The tiny diatomic gas nitric oxide is synthezised in biological systems by complex enzymes known as nitric oxide synthases. Recently, a novel pathway for NO production in humans was discovered that involves chemical reduction of inorganic nitrite, a reaction that takes place predominantly during acidic and reducing conditions. Nonenzymatic NO production has been demonstrated, e.g., in the stomach, on the surface of the skin, in the ischemic heart, and in infected nitrite-containing urine. NO produced by this mechanism is likely to play a role in similar biological events as when produced froml-arginine by NO synthases.

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      In addition, a more rapid pathway for nitrate reduction has been identified in which circulating nitrate (whether from dietary sources or NO oxidation) is actively transported into the mouth via the protein sialin [54], where it is reduced by commensal, facultative bacteria into nitrite [55]. The nitrite is then swallowed and a portion undergoes acidic reduction into NO and other nitrogen oxides in the stomach [51,52]. Some of the nitrite also reaches systemic circulation, where it can be transported to various tissue throughout the body and further reduced to NO via nitrite reductases [52].

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    Feelish, M.Stamler, J.

    1

    To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:[email protected].

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