Abstract
Isobutyl nitrite is representative of a group of inhalants abused primarily by male homosexuals and adolescents. These inhalants are vasodilators and relax smooth muscles, similar to the effects of exposure to nitric oxide (NO). Epidemiological studies have identified heavy nitrite abuse as an independent risk factor for seropositivity for human immunodeficiency virus (1,2) and for Kaposi’s sarcoma in AIDS patients (3,4). A co-factor role of nitrite inhalants might be through immunosuppression. We have developed a mouse model of nitrite inhalation, in which groups of mice are exposed to isobutyl nitrite in an inhalation chamber for 45 min/day for 14 days. One day after the last exposure, the mice have severely depressed cell-mediated immunity (5,6) and T-dependent antibody induction (7). It has been hypothesized (8) that the inhalants produced their immunotoxicity by liberating nitric oxide (NO). In the present study, we showed that isobutyl nitrite liberated NO, but that the liberated NO did not cause the immunosuppression associated with isobutyl nitrite.
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Soderberg, L.S.F., Roy, A., Barnett, J.B. (1998). Isobutyl Nitrite Liberates Nitric Oxide Which is not Responsible for the Immunotoxicity of the Inhalant. In: Friedman, H., Madden, J.J., Klein, T.W. (eds) Drugs of Abuse, Immunomodulation, and Aids. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 437. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5347-2_29
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5347-2_29
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