title: Can erythrocytes release biologically active NO?
abstract: Under physiological conditions, endothelial cells and the endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) are the main source of NO in the cardiovascular system. However, several other cell types have also been implicated in the NO-dependent regulation of cell function, including erythrocytes. NO derived from red blood cells has been proposed to regulate erythrocyte membrane fluidity, inhibit platelet activation and induce vasodilation in hypoxic areas, but these proposals are highly controversial. In the current issue of Cell Communication and Signaling, an elegant study by Gambaryan et al., assayed NO production by erythrocytes by monitoring the activation of the platelet intracellular NO receptor, soluble guanylyl cyclase, and its downstream kinase protein kinase G. After systematically testing different combinations of erythrocyte/platelet suspensions, the authors found no evidence for platelet soluble guanylyl cyclase/protein kinase G activation by erythrocytes and conclude that erythrocytes do not release biologically active NO to inhibit platelet activation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. benz@vrc.uni-frankfurt.de.|DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research) partner site Rhine-Main, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. benz@vrc.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3994-8937
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Benz
authors.affiliation: Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.|DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research) partner site Rhine-Main, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fleming
mesh_terms: D006152:Cyclic GMP; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D004912:Erythrocytes; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014664:Vasodilation
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase; D006152:Cyclic GMP
keywords: Erythrocytes; Hypoxic vasodilation; NO; Nitric oxide; PKG; Platelet inhibition; Red blood cells; Soluble guanylyl cyclase; VASP; eNOS