Nitric oxide and the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell.
Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which exists in different isoforms in various tissues. The inducible NOS (iNOS) isoform of the enzyme is expressed in vascular smooth muscle in response to lipopolysaccharide and inflammatory mediators. When this expression of iNOS occurs in the lung, the NO produced may play a role in the inflammatory process of acute lung injury. This article reviews the research that characterizes iNOS in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle and discusses current investigation into the role of NO in sepsis and injury.
Degnim
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Section of Pediatric Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599-7210, USA.
Nakayama
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DK
D000818:Animals; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D055370:Lung Injury; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D018805:Sepsis / Q000503:physiopathology
D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase