Definition
NO is a combination of two of the most common gasses in the atmosphere, nitrogen and oxygen, and is produced in mammals by various cell types where it has a physiological role and also plays a role in some pathophysiological states.
Characteristics
NO was previously considered to only be an atmospheric pollutant until it was first demonstrated in 1987 that mammalian cells generate NO and that it accounted for the bioactivity of a substance produced by the endothelial cells initially named as endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF). Once produced by the endothelial cells, this substance diffuses rapidly to the surrounding vascular smooth muscle and causes relaxation and, hence, the initial name. This discovery that NO is produced in mammals led to an explosion in NO research to identify its role in both normal and diseased states in mammals. NO produced by endothelial cells plays a physiologic role in maintaining blood pressure and blood flow to various organs. NO is also...
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References
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Sen, S., Chaudhuri, G. (2015). Nitric Oxide. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_4089-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_4089-2
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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