抄録
Nitric oxide (NO) is produced in human airways and can be measured in exhaled air. It has recently been reported that most exhaled NO derives from the upper airways. Our current data suggest that endothelial cells in the nasal mucosa are the dominant source of NO. The net output of NO (VNO) is considered to be a very reliable value for the quantitative assessment of airway NO production, since the concentration of exhaled NO correlates hyperbolically with the ventilation volume. Using VNO, NO production in the airways can be evaluated in various airway diseases. Nasal and oral VNO are not elevated in any pathological conditions, including asthma, while they are decreased in chronic sinusitis and chronic bronchitis. NO concentration in the nose and saccharine time, which indicates nasal muco-ciliary transportation, are significantly correlated. As NO is a regulator of muco-ciliary activity, the decreased concentration of NO in chronic sino-bronchial inflammation-which is characterized by neutrophil infiltration and dysfunction of muco-ciliary transportation-may contribute to their pathogenesis. NO might be terminated by O2- produced by neutrophils.
