title: L-citrulline provides a novel strategy for treating chronic pulmonary hypertension in newborn infants.
abstract: Effective therapies are urgently needed for infants with forms of pulmonary hypertension that develop or persist beyond the first week of life. The L-arginine nitric oxide (NO) precursor, L-citrulline, improves NO signalling and ameliorates pulmonary hypertension in newborn animals. In vitro studies demonstrate that manipulating L-citrulline transport alters NO production.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strategies that increase the supply and transport of L-citrulline merit pursuit as novel approaches to managing infants with chronic, progressive pulmonary hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Candice D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Fike
authors.forename: Marshall
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Summar
authors.forename: Judy L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Aschner
mesh_terms: D026921:Amino Acid Transport Systems, Neutral / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002956:Citrulline / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D023421:Models, Animal; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D026921:Amino Acid Transport Systems, Neutral; D002956:Citrulline; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III
keywords: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia; Nitric oxide; Oxidative stress; Premature infants; Pulmonary hypertension