Nitric Oxide

Eighty-one million Americans have cardiovascular disease, the arterial damage that leads to the heart attacks and strokes that account for 36 percent of all deaths in the U.S. But few people know that boosting the body's levels of a single molecule of nitric oxide can help prevent, control, and even reverse cardiovascular disease.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a gas that transmits signals in an organism. Signal transmission by a gas that is produced by one cell and which penetrates through membranes and regulates the function of another cell represents an entirely new principle for signaling in biological systems. NO is a signal molecule of key importance for the cardiovascular system acting as a regulator of blood pressure and as a gatekeeper of blood flow to different organs. NO also exerts a series of other functions, such as acting a signal molecule in the nervous system and as a weapon against infections. NO is present in most living creatures and made by many different types of cells. NO research has led to new treatments for treating heart as well as lung diseases, shock, and impotence. Scientists are currently testing whether NO can be used to stop the growth of cancerous tumors, since the gas can induce programmed cell death, apoptosis. This book is the first comprehensive text on nitric oxide to cover all aspects--basic biology, chemistry, pathobiology, effects on various disease states, and therapeutic implications. Edited by Nobel Laureate Louis J. Ignarro, editor of the Academic Press journal, Nitric Oxide Authored by world experts on nitric oxide Includes an overview of basic principles of biology and chemical biology Covers principles of pathobiology, including the nervous system, cardiovascular function, pulmonary function, and immune defense

This book presents WHO guidelines for the protection of public health from risks due to a number of chemicals commonly present in indoor air. The substances considered in this review, i.e. benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, naphthalene, nitrogen dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (especially benzo[a]pyrene), radon, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene, have indoor sources, are known in respect of their hazardousness to health and are often found indoors in concentrations of health concern. The guidelines are targeted at public health professionals involved in preventing health risks of environmental exposures, as well as specialists and authorities involved in the design and use of buildings, indoor materials and products. They provide a scientific basis for legally enforceable standards.

This unique sourcebook serves as a comprehensive reference, bridging the well-established chemistry of nitric oxide and the new and exciting role of nitric oxide as an effector and signaling molecule in numerous biological systems. Nitric Oxide: Principles and Actions relates the chemical properties of the molecule to its possible effects on biological systems, under both normal physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Combining the chemistry and analysis of nitric oxide with newer studies of the relevance of the molecule gives this book a long life, making it extremely useful to researchers in a number of areas. Provides a much needed compilation of what is known about nitric oxide and its properties Enables researchers to understand the importance and use of nitric oxide in systems of study Covers an area of tremendous growth in research Provides the first collection of the roles of nitric oxide in microbial and mammalian systems and as a probe of metalloenzymes Presents the historically important role of nitric oxide in food preservation

Familiarity with nitric oxide is essential to a modern understanding of pathophysiologic mechanisms of infectious disease. Recent research has established nitric oxide and related reactive nitrogen intermediates to be important molecular mediators of diverse physiologic processes such as control of vascular tone, regulation of the immune system, and microbial and tumor cell growth. This book contains chapters by the leading researchers in the field and examines the biology and biochemistry of nitric oxide and its role in a variety of specific infections ranging from sepsis, tuberculosis and malaria to viral myocarditis, influenza, and AIDS.

Advances in Nitric Oxide and Cancer is a volume that serves to give the latest research on nitric oxide (NO) and cancer. More specifically, the volume reviews significant advances in the application of NO-mediated drugs. The volume explores nitric oxide and its relationship to cancer spanning from its roles in the pathogenesis, prognosis, gene and protein modifications, regulation of resistance to cytotoxics, and therapeutic applications. With chapters written by leading experts, the volume addresses the burgeoning interest in a rapidly advancing field and provides a valuable resource to scientists who have initiated research as well as clinical investigations in their laboratories on the various roles of NO and cancer.

Therapeutic Application of Nitric Oxide in Cancer and Inflammatory Disorders presents updated reviews on the chemistry, signaling, pre-clinical and clinical activities on the role of nitric oxide donors/inhibitors used alone and in combination with other therapeutic agents for the treatment of a variety of diseases. This book examines various studies related to the application of novel therapeutic NO (donors/inhibitors) compounds in the treatment of various cancers. These studies have been shown to exert significant therapeutic activities against various cancers and various inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, allergies, and asthma, where no current effective therapies exist. Pathologies based on functional and structural vascular alterations are also taken into consideration. Edited and written by internationally renowned experts in the field of novel therapeutics for cancer, this book is a valuable source for cancer researchers, medical scientists, clinicians, clinical pharmacologists, and graduate students. Provides readers with a clear overview of the recent findings and references as well as summaries, significant molecular pathways, and conclusions Discusses new ideas proposed and makes suggestions for further investigations that will advance the field Presents introductory and summary information on the contributions of the field, all the findings of the studies discussed, and projects future goals for research