Jorens P G, Vermeire P A, Herman A G
Dept of Respiratory Medicine, UIA, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
Eur Respir J. 1993 Feb;6(2):258-66.
An L-arginine-dependent pathway, metabolising L-arginine to citrulline and nitrogen oxides, has been described in many cell types in different species, including man. Two subtypes of this nitric oxide synthase have been reported: a constitutive enzyme type, releasing nitric oxide after stimulation, is typically found in endothelial and neural cells; another subtype can be induced in macrophages after cytokine treatment. This review summarizes the literature on the known and proposed roles of this L-arginine-dependent nitric oxide production in different pulmonary processes. Nitric oxide has been reported to act as a neurotransmitter in the inhibitory nonadrenergic, noncholinergic nerves in the airways of guinea-pig and man. It is released in cytostatic processes by immune-stimulated alveolar macrophages. Recent data on the role of L-arginine-dependent processes in immune-complex-mediated lung injury, histamine-induced activation of guanylate cyclase or cytokine networks in the lung are also discussed. Finally, similarities and differences between tracheal epithelium-derived relaxing factor and nitric oxide are analysed. The details of the role and distribution of nitric oxide synthase in the (human) lung and airways are not yet completely understood. Nitric oxide is believed to play a role in various pulmonary physiological processes, such as bronchodilation and the cytotoxic action of certain cells. The modulation of nitric oxide release will therefore, most probably lead to application of novel therapies in diseases such as asthma and inflammatory pulmonary diseases.
一种将L-精氨酸代谢为瓜氨酸和氮氧化物的L-精氨酸依赖性途径，已在包括人类在内的不同物种的多种细胞类型中被描述。已报道这种一氧化氮合酶有两种亚型：一种是组成型酶类型，在受到刺激后释放一氧化氮，通常存在于内皮细胞和神经细胞中；另一种亚型可在细胞因子处理后的巨噬细胞中被诱导产生。这篇综述总结了关于这种L-精氨酸依赖性一氧化氮生成在不同肺部过程中已知和推测作用的文献。据报道，一氧化氮在豚鼠和人类气道的抑制性非肾上腺素能、非胆碱能神经中作为神经递质起作用。它在免疫刺激的肺泡巨噬细胞的细胞抑制过程中释放。还讨论了关于L-精氨酸依赖性过程在免疫复合物介导的肺损伤、组胺诱导的肺中鸟苷酸环化酶激活或细胞因子网络中的作用的最新数据。最后，分析了气管上皮衍生的舒张因子与一氧化氮之间的异同。一氧化氮合酶在（人类）肺和气道中的作用及分布细节尚未完全了解。一氧化氮被认为在各种肺部生理过程中起作用，如支气管扩张和某些细胞的细胞毒性作用。因此，一氧化氮释放的调节很可能会导致在哮喘和炎症性肺部疾病等疾病中应用新的治疗方法。
