Mendes Ribeiro Antônio Cláudio, Brunini Tatiana M C
Departamento de Farmacologia e Psicobiologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 20551-030, Brazil.
Curr Med Chem Cardiovasc Hematol Agents. 2004 Apr;2(2):123-31. doi: 10.2174/1568016043477288.
The importance of membrane transport in normal physiological cell function is unquestionable. However, to what extent alterations in the transport of amino acids are the cause and/or consequence of pathological changes observed in disease states is a question not yet completely clarified. Kinetic experiments with blood cells provide a simple and useful model for researching alterations in amino acid transport. The cationic amino acid L-arginine is the precursor of nitric oxide (NO), a key second messenger involved in functions such as endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation, immune defence and platelet activation. The transport of L-arginine, being rate-limiting for nitric oxide production, is extremely relevant to pathological conditions where NO synthesis and/or actions are affected. The current review provides an overview of L-arginine transport in disease, specifically in uraemia, heart failure, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, septic shock and sickle cell disease.
膜转运在正常生理细胞功能中的重要性是毋庸置疑的。然而，在疾病状态下观察到的氨基酸转运改变在多大程度上是病理变化的原因和/或结果，这一问题尚未完全阐明。血细胞动力学实验为研究氨基酸转运改变提供了一个简单而有用的模型。阳离子氨基酸L-精氨酸是一氧化氮（NO）的前体，NO是一种关键的第二信使，参与诸如内皮依赖性血管舒张、免疫防御和血小板活化等功能。L-精氨酸的转运是一氧化氮产生的限速步骤，与NO合成和/或作用受到影响的病理状况极为相关。本综述概述了疾病中L-精氨酸的转运情况，特别是在尿毒症、心力衰竭、高血压、糖尿病、脓毒症休克和镰状细胞病中的情况。
