Role of nitric oxide in angiogenesis and microcirculation in tumors.
Nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical molecule with high reactivity, a short half life and a variety of physiological activities. The role of NO in tumor microcirculation, based on the data collected to date, can be summarized as follows: 1) NO may partially mediate tumor angiogenesis; 2) endogenous NO derived from tumor vascular endothelium and/or tumor cells increases and/or maintains tumor blood flow via dilatation of arteriolar vessels, decreases leukocyte-endothelial interaction, and increases vascular permeability; 3) exogenous NO can increase tumor blood flow via vessel dilatation, and reduce vessel tone; and 4) NO production rates and vascular response to NO are heterogeneous and tumor-dependent. Modulation of NO level in tumor vessels can alter tumor hemodynamics and thus augment oxygen, drug, gene vector and effector cell delivery to solid tumors.
Fukumura
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Edwin L. Steele Laboratory, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.
Jain
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D000818:Animals; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism
D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase