title: Nitric oxide production is inhibited in trauma patients.
abstract: Elevated levels of nitrates/nitrites, the stable endproducts of nitric oxide (NO), were recently observed in septic patients. In this setting, NO maintains blood flow by vasodilation and inhibition of platelet aggregation. Trauma patients were found to have low plasma levels of nitrates/nitrites, even when they developed sepsis. The current study substantiated that trauma patients have suppressed production of NO; reductions in plasma nitrate/nitrite levels correlated with low urinary excretion of these endproducts. Nitric oxide production was upregulated in trauma patients with clinical infection compared with trauma patients without infection, but was still significantly suppressed compared with nitric oxide production in normal controls. The inability of trauma patients to produce NO may be an important component of the susceptibility of these patients to infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15261.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ochoa
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Udekwu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Billiar
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Marion
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Peitzman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000378:metabolism*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003404:Creatinine