Physiology of nitric oxide in the respiratory system. M. Antosova, D. Mokra, L. Pepucha, J. Plevkova, T. Buday,

摘要

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important endogenous neurotransmitterand mediator. It participates in regulation of physiologicalprocesses in different organ systems including airways.Therefore, it is important to clarify its role in the regulation ofboth airway and vascular smooth muscle, neurotransmission andneurotoxicity, mucus transport, lung development and in thesurfactant production. The bioactivity of NO is highly variable anddepends on many factors: the presence and activity ofNO-producing enzymes, activity of competitive enzymes (e.g.arginase), the amount of substrate for the NO production, thepresence of reactive oxygen species and others. All of these canchange NO primary physiological role into potentially harmful.The borderline between them is very fragile and in many casesnot entirely clear. For this reason, the research focuses ona comprehensive understanding of NO synthesis and itsmetabolic pathways, genetic polymorphisms of NO synthesizingenzymes and related effects. Research is also motivated byfrequent use of exhaled NO monitoring in the clinicalmanifestations of respiratory diseases. The review focuses on thelatest knowledge about the production and function of thismediator and understanding the basic physiological processes inthe airways.