Nitric oxide: a challenge to chiropractic

The 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognized the biological significance of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is derived from the amino acid arginine. It is intimately involved with circulatory vessel dilation where, for example, it protects against heart attacks, and is the basis for new medications such as Sildenafil (Viagra). Nitric oxide acts as a neurotransmitter and can modulate many neurological reactions. The immune system uses nitric oxide to destroy pathogens by interfering with key enzymes. Nitric oxide is responsible for both osteoclastic and osteoblastic responses in bone and is a key player in the degenerative aspects of arthritis. The process of apoptosis employs nitric oxide in the orderly removal of unneeded cells. There is clear evidence that major signaling and control mechanisms exist in the body apart from the nervous system. Chiropractic is thus faced with the challenge of how to incorporate this new knowledge which conflicts with traditional chiropractic concepts. (JCCA 2000; 44(1):40–48)