Nitric oxide
hideNitric oxide or nitrogen monoxide is a chemical compound with chemical formula NO. This gas is an important signaling molecule in the body of mammals, including humans, and is an extremely important intermediate in the chemical industry. It is also an air pollutant produced by cigarette smoke, automobile engines and power plants.
NO is an important messenger molecule involved in many physiological and pathological processes within the mammalian body both beneficial and detrimental. Appropriate levels of NO production are important in protecting an organ such as the liver from ischemic damage. However sustained levels of NO production result in direct tissue toxicity and contribute to the vascular collapse associated with septic shock, whereas chronic expression of NO is associated with various carcinomas and inflammatory conditions including juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and ulcerative colitis.
Nitric oxide should not be confused with nitrous oxide (N2O), a general anaesthetic and greenhouse gas, or with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) which is another air pollutant. The nitric oxide molecule is a free radical, which is relevant to understanding its high reactivity.
Despite being a simple molecule, NO is a fundamental player in the fields of neuroscience, physiology, and immunology, and was proclaimed “Molecule of the Year” in 1992.
For more information about Nitric oxide, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with nitric oxide
Nitric oxide can alter brain function
Nov 26, 2008 |
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Research from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester shows that nitric oxide (NO) can change the computational ability of the brain. This finding has implications for the treatment ...
Scientists help explain effects of ancient Chinese herbal formulas on heart health
Aug 18, 2009 |
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New research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston suggests that ancient Chinese herbal formulas used primarily for cardiovascular indications including heart disease may produce large ...
Research reveals key to world's toughest organism
Oct 19, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study by Cornell researchers uncovers the details of how the world's toughest bacterium survives lethal radiation exposure.
Topical erectile dysfunction therapy shows promise (w/ Video)
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Sep 19, 2009 |
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An innovative drug-delivery system - nanoparticles encapsulating nitric oxide or prescription drugs - shows promise for topical treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), according to a new study by scientists ...
Stunning Finding: Compounds Protect Against Cerebral Palsy
Feb 25, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Two compounds developed by Northwestern University chemists have been shown to be effective in pre-clinical trials in protecting against cerebral palsy, a condition caused by neurodegeneration that affects ...
Nitric oxide shown to cause colon cancer
Jan 20, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers long ago established a link between inflammation, cancer and the compound nitric oxide, which may be produced when the immune system responds to bacterial infections, including those of the colon. ...
Watching Venus glow in the dark
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Feb 24, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA’s Venus Express spacecraft has observed an eerie glow in the night-time atmosphere of Venus. This infrared light comes from nitric oxide and is showing scientists that the atmosphere of ...
New proxy reveals how humans have disrupted the nitrogen cycle
Jun 04, 2009 |
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More and more, scientists are getting a better grip on the nitrogen cycle. They are learning about sources of nitrogen and how this element changes as it loops from the nonliving, such as the atmosphere, soil ...
Exhaled nitric oxide monitoring does not improve on guidelines-based asthma management
Sep 19, 2008 |
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Exhaled nitric oxide serves as a biomarker of inflammation in the lungs, and proponents have suggested that monitoring nitric oxide levels could help improve management of asthma. However, new research, which will be published ...
Parasites that live inside cells use loophole to thwart immune system
Nov 03, 2008 |
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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have discovered a mechanism by which intracellular pathogens can shut down one of the body's key chemical weapons against them: nitric oxide. The researchers found that the ...
New evidence of how high glucose damages blood vessels could lead to new treatments
May 11, 2009 |
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New evidence of how the elevated glucose levels that occur in diabetes damage blood vessels may lead to novel strategies for blocking the destruction, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.
Portable and precise gas sensor could monitor pollution and detect disease
Sep 18, 2009 |
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In the air, it is a serious pollutant. In the body, it plays a role in heart rate, blood flow, nerve signals and immune function. Nitric oxide, a gas well known to scientists for its myriad functions, has ...
Study may explain exercise-induced fatigue in muscular dystrophies
Oct 26, 2008 |
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A University of Iowa study suggests that the prolonged fatigue after mild exercise that occurs in people with many forms of muscular dystrophy is distinct from the inherent muscle weakness caused by the disease.
Researchers developing new drug class to combat Alzheimer's
Oct 22, 2008 |
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The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy has received a four-year, $1.87 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue research into discovering a new drug class that will treat Alzheimer's ...
Multiple axons and actions with PSD-95
Biology /
Dec 15, 2008 |
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Nitric oxide gets neurons together. And it seems to do it backward. Work by Nikonenko et al. suggests that a protein called PSD-95 prompts nitric oxide release from postsynaptic dendritic spines, prompting ...
