Neural network theory indicates that inadequate expression of nitric oxide will cause narrow cortical neural columns, predicted on theoretical grounds and recently observed in autism. Another recent neuroanatomical finding in autism, early rapid growth of the cerebrum, may also be explained by inadequate expression of nitric oxide. Another long known neuroanatomical abnormality in autism, a red...

OBJECTIVES The study was designed to evaluate the functional impact of nitric oxide (NO) generation within the myocardium on cardiac contraction in the failing human heart. BACKGROUND Heart failure is associated with activation of cytokines and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS II), which generates NO from L-arginine. Nitric oxide has been shown to modulate myocardial perform...

To the Editor: We read with interest 2 recent reports published in Circulation. We believe that the work of Qian et al1 and Ridker et al2 has an important connection in light of our recent findings.3 Qian and coworkers1 showed that in cholesterol-fed rabbits, increased nitric oxide production, via nitric oxide synthase gene transfer, produced rapid amelioration of several markers of atheroscler...

Acute, nonselective nitric oxide synthase inhibition in the pregnant rat decreases glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow, suggesting a role for nitric oxide in mediating renal vasodilation during pregnancy. As mid-gestation in the rat is associated with a significant increase in renal protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, the aim of this study was to examine the role...

Research during recent years has established nitric oxide as a unique signaling molecule that plays important roles in the regulation of the cardiovascular, nervous, immune, and other systems. Nitric oxide has also been implicated in the control of the secretion of hormones by the pancreas, hypothalamus, and anterior pituitary gland, and evidence is accumulating that it contributes to the regul...

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a multisystem disorder characterized by the formation of cysts within the kidneys. PKD is mainly caused by the unfolding of its immunoglobulin-like PKD domains. There are two major forms of PKD; autosomal dominant (ADPKD) that caused by mutations of PKD1 and PKD2 (1) and autosomal recessive (ARPKD) caused by mutations in PKHD1 gene (2,3). Although, cellular ch...

Nitric oxide (NO) plays pivotal roles in controlling physiological functions, participates in pathophysiological intervention, and is involved in mechanisms underlying beneficial or untoward actions of therapeutic agents. Endogenous nitric oxide is formed by three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase: endothelial, neurogenic and inducible. The former two are constitutively present mainly in the en...

Nitric-oxide synthase, the enzyme responsible for mammalian nitric oxide generation, and cytochrome P450, the major enzymes involved in drug metabolism, share striking similarities. Therefore, it makes sense that cytochrome P450 drug mediated biotransformations might play an important role in the pharmacological modulation of nitric oxide synthase. In this work, we have undertaken an integrated...