Question

How is nitric oxide generated in vivo, and why is its production important?

What alternate sources of nitric oxide exist and what advantages or disadvantages might these offer?

what is the link between dietary nitrate and nitric oxide?

Give examples where this approach has been applied effectively to humans?

Answer 1

NO is produced fro epithelial cells. NO is released by several isoforms of the enzyme, NOS, which catalyses the 5 - electron oxidation of the guanidino nitrogen moiety of a nonaromatic amino acid known as L- argine to citruline via hydroxy-L-arginine.

NO production is important for the over all health and body. This is because NO allows blood, nutrients and oxygen to travel to every part of our body effectively and efficiently. Moreover a limited capacity to produce nitric oxide is associated with heart disease, diabetes and erectile dysfunction.

The alternate sources of nitric oxide are L- arginine and L-citruline. L-arginine is an amino acid/ protein building block, which is naturally found in red meat, dairy products, poultry etc. L-citruline is also an amino acid found in meat, nuts, legumes, and water melon.

Advantages include: improvement in lung functionality in those with cystic fibrosis, treating altitude sickness, preventing common cold, healing diabatic foot ulcers.

Disadvantages include: diarrhea, stomach pain, bloating, headache, heart palpitations, nausea.

Dietary nitrate, derived in the diet mainly from vegetables, may contibute to cardiovascular health via effects on NO status. NO plays a major role in cardiovascular health.Dietary nitrate have shown improvemnets in blood pressure, endothelial function, artrial stiffness and excersis performance.