title: Relation between plasma nitrate and mean pulmonary arterial pressure in ventricular septal defect.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nitric oxide (NO) is known to modulate myocardial contraction and coronary tone, and its inhalation reduces pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with pulmonary hypertension.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the pathophysiological role of NO in patients with a ventricular septal defect (VSD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine children with VSD, nine of whom had undergone VSD closure surgery, and 14 patients with Kawasaki disease. The mean age of the VSD patients was 3.1 years (range, 2 months to 9 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Using high performance liquid chromatography, nitrate (a more stable NO oxidation product) was measured in plasma specimens of the patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nitrate concentrations in the pulmonary artery bore a significant relation to mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary to systemic systolic pressure ratio, and pulmonary to systemic flow ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The concentration of nitrate was in proportion to the increment in intravascular or cardiac pressure, indicating that endogenous NO is upregulated as a compensatory homeostatic attempt to reduce pulmonary pressure and blood flow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takaya
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teraguchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nogi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikemoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; D012039:Regional Blood Flow
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009569:Nitric Oxide