Nitric oxide and pulmonary hypertension.
- Author:
Ji Yeon SIM
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords: Nitric oxide; Pulmonary hypertension; Pulmonary vascular resistance
- MeSH: Heart Diseases; Heart Transplantation; Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Lung; Natriuretic Peptides; Nitric Oxide; Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; Reactive Oxygen Species; Vascular Resistance; Vascular System Injuries
- From:Korean Journal of Anesthesiology 2010;58(1):4-14
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: Pulmonary hypertension is a serious complication of a number of lung and heart diseases that is characterized by peripheral vascular structural remodeling and loss of vascular tone. Nitric oxide can modulate vascular injury and interrupt elevation of pulmonary vascular resistance selectively; however, it can also produce cytotoxic oxygen radicals and exert cytotoxic and antiplatelet effects. The balance between the protective and adverse effects of nitric oxide is determined by the relative amount of nitric oxide and reactive radicals. Nitric oxide has been shown to be clinically effective in the treatment of congenital heart disease, mitrial valvular disease combined with pulmonary hypertension and in orthotropic cardiac transplantation patients. Additionally, new therapeutic modalities for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, natriuretic peptides and aqueous nitric oxide are also effective for treatment of elevated pulmonary vascular resistance.
