The European respiratory journal : official journal of the European Society for Clinical Respiratory Physiology
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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. ⋯ 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.