Biological relevance of erythrocytic NO-formation

摘要

Rbc are the major source and express a membrane-associated eNOS isoform stimulated by L-arginine. Rbc-derived NO-formation serves important functions essential for adequate passage of blood through the vasculature: i) Deformability of rbc is determined by intrinsic rbc-dependent NO-formation. ii) NO exported from rbc increases plasma NO-storage pool, iii) inhibits platelet activation and iv) modulates tone of arteries. Thus rbc represent an important source of vascular NO-formation mimicking biological effects of endothelium-derived NO. This shifts the paradigm of understanding vascular homeostasis and may help to develop new approaches in diagnosis and treatment of NO deficiency inherent to many vascular diseases.