Garg Harsha K, Bryan Nathan S
Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas-Houston Health Sciences Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas-Houston Health Sciences Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Kidney Int. 2009 Jun;75(11):1140-1144. doi: 10.1038/ki.2009.13. Epub 2009 Feb 11.
The nitrite anion is an endogenous product of nitric oxide (NO) metabolism, a key intermediate in the nitrogen cycle in plants and bacteria, and a constituent of many foods. Research over the past 6 years has revealed a surprising biological and cytoprotective activity of this anion. Its ability to restore NO homeostasis throughout the physiological oxygen gradient in vivo has transformed this once-thought to be inert anion into a critical molecule in health and disease. Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major clinical problem worldwide. NO has been shown to be one of the most important molecules for the prevention of injury from I/R. Paradoxically, however, enzymatic NO formation from NO synthase (NOS) is inactive during conditions of inadequate oxygen and substrate delivery, such as in ischemia. Nitrite has emerged as a viable alternative source of NO under ischemic conditions. As nitrite is known to be derived not only from the oxidation of NO but also through diet, understanding nitrite metabolism and mechanisms of cytoprotection may offer novel and natural means to prevent disease or at least limit injury from an I/R event. Here, we review the current body of knowledge regarding dietary sources of nitrite and its modulation of cytoprotection in an I/R injury.
亚硝酸根阴离子是一氧化氮（NO）代谢的内源性产物，是植物和细菌氮循环中的关键中间体，也是许多食物的组成成分。过去6年的研究揭示了这种阴离子惊人的生物学和细胞保护活性。其在体内整个生理氧梯度中恢复NO稳态的能力，已将这种曾被认为是惰性的阴离子转变为健康和疾病中的关键分子。缺血再灌注（I/R）损伤是全球范围内的一个主要临床问题。NO已被证明是预防I/R损伤最重要的分子之一。然而，矛盾的是，在氧和底物供应不足的情况下，如在缺血时，由一氧化氮合酶（NOS）产生的酶促NO生成是无活性的。亚硝酸盐已成为缺血条件下NO的一个可行替代来源。由于已知亚硝酸盐不仅来源于NO的氧化，还通过饮食产生，了解亚硝酸盐代谢和细胞保护机制可能会提供预防疾病或至少限制I/R事件损伤的新颖且天然的方法。在此，我们综述了关于亚硝酸盐饮食来源及其在I/R损伤中对细胞保护调节作用的当前知识体系。
