Main description:

Nitric oxide is an endogenously produced gas with a wide range of biological effects and has been implicated in many physiological and pathophysiological processes. It is released by many cell types in various organs but is particularly important in the maintenance of normal lung function. Nitric oxide in exhaled breath has been identified as a marker for lung disease in some patients. Thus, it is appropriate to consider the lung separately for the role and functioning of nitric oxide. The authors identify key areas in the history, biochemistry, physiology, pathophysiology, immunology and clinical applications of nitric oxide in the lung. The contents of this book will be of particular importance to scientists and clinicians with an interest in lung disease. Moreover, the authors encompass state of the art opinions of and rational for the therapeutic potential of nitric oxide and its inhibitors.

Contents:

to Nitric Oxide Biology.- 1. Nitric Oxide Synthesis and Actions.- 2. Reactive Oxygen and Reactive Nitrogen Species in the Lung.- Role of Endogenous Nitric Oxide in the Lung.- 3. Non-Adrenergic Non-Cholinergic Neurotransmission in the Airways: Role of Nitric Oxide.- 4. Localisation of Nitric Oxide Synthases in the Lung.- 5. Role of Nitric Oxide in the Regulation of Pulmonary Vascular Tone.- 6. Nitric Oxide and Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness.- 7. Bronchodilator Actions of Nitric Oxide and Related Compounds.- 8. Role of Nitric Oxide in Airway Inflammation.- Therapeutic Potential of Inhalded Nitric Oxide and Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors in Lung Disease.- 9. Nitric Oxide in Exhaled Air: Relevance in Inflammatory Lung Disease.- 10. Luminal Nitric Oxide in the Upper Airways: Implications for Local and Distal Sites of Action.- 11. Inhaled Nitric Oxide as a Therapy for Diseases of the Pulmonary Vasculature.- 12. Combinded Use of Nitric Oxide and Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors as a Possible Therapeutic Approach.