Regulation of constitutive nitric oxide synthase activity by the human heart

We and others have provided indirect evidence for the presence of a constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) in the mammalian heart. We now provide more direct evidence for the regulation of a myocardial cNOS in the hearts of patients undergoing elective cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). cNOS enzyme ac...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of cardiology 1995-11, Vol.76 (12), p.957-959
Main Authors: HATTLER, B. G, ODDIS, C. V, ZEEVI, A, LUSS, H, NISH SHAH, GELLER, D. A, BILLIAR, T. R, SIMMONS, R. L, FINKEL, M. S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Heart
Humans
Medical research
Myocardial Contraction - physiology
Myocardium - enzymology
Nitric Oxide Synthase - metabolism
Vertebrates: cardiovascular system
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Summary:We and others have provided indirect evidence for the presence of a constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) in the mammalian heart. We now provide more direct evidence for the regulation of a myocardial cNOS in the hearts of patients undergoing elective cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). cNOS enzyme activity was demonstrable in both cytosolic (8.3 +/- 0.02 pmol/min/mg) and membrane (11.1 +/- 0.4 pmol/min/mg) preparations derived from human atrial pectinate muscles obtained at the time of CPB (n = 6). Plasma nitrite (NO2-) + plasma nitrate (NO3-) levels from the beating hearts of patients before bypass were reduced from 146 +/- 33 to 5.1 +/- 50 pmol/min/g after cardiac arrest during CPB (n = 23; p < 0.002 by Student's t test). Thus, the human myocardium constitutively produces nitric oxide that is regulated by the contractile state of the heart.
ISSN:0002-9149
1879-1913
DOI:10.1016/S0002-9149(99)80269-0