Nitric oxide metabolism in cancerous and non-cancerous oral gingivomucosal tissues: possible implications of nitric oxide in cancer process.
OBJECTIVE
Nitric oxide (NO) is a molecule that plays various roles in the body tissues. NO plays important roles in vasodilatation, platelet aggregation, cytokine stimulation, neurotransmission, immune function, etc. NO also exerts dual functions as an oxidant and antioxidant substance depending on its concentrations and environmental conditions. In this study, we aimed to examine possible correlation between NO levels and NO synthase (NOS) activity in the patients with oral cancer.


METHODS
The study included 19 tissues from human subjects (11 malign and eight benign lesions).


RESULTS
NO level and NOS activity were found decreased in the malign lesions compared with those of the benign ones.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, two suggestions can be made; first, decreased NO synthesis may be an attempt to suppress angiogenesis, which is known to provide more essential nutrients to malign lesions and/or second, malign lesions may suppress NO production to be capable of creating more rapid proliferation as it has been known that NO is also a powerful free radical inducing apoptosis.
Avci
A
A
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey. aslihanavci@yahoo.com
Tüzüner-Oncül
A M
AM
Gökcan
M K
MK
Namuslu
M
M
Oztürk
A
A
Durak
I
I
D017209:Apoptosis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*
D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase