Life, Death and Nitric Oxide
Life, Death and Nitric Oxide

Author: Anthony R Butler

Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry

Published: 2007-10-31

Total Pages: 170

ISBN-13: 1847551238

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Designated 'Molecule of the Year' in 1992 in recognition of its many biological roles, nitric oxide has wide significance in the world around us and the story of nitric oxide is still unfolding. This small and seemingly innocent molecule has for many years been known to play a significant role in both the creation of photochemical smogs and in the nitrogen cycle. It has an interesting chemistry as a metal ligand, and the bonding within the nitric oxide molecule has been extensively studied. More recently, the molecule has been in the spotlight for the role it plays in controlling blood flow, in the immune system and in brain activity. Life, Death and Nitric Oxide covers many of the topics relating to nitric oxide, from smog and catalytic converters to tumour growth, blood flow and Viagra, with the aim of finding out why such a simple molecule can do so much.

Nitric Oxide
Nitric Oxide

Author: Louis J. Ignarro

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2000-09-13

Total Pages: 1023

ISBN-13: 0080525032

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Nitric oxide (NO) is a gas that transmits signals in an organism. Signal transmission by a gas that is produced by one cell and which penetrates through membranes and regulates the function of another cell represents an entirely new principle for signaling in biological systems. NO is a signal molecule of key importance for the cardiovascular system acting as a regulator of blood pressure and as a gatekeeper of blood flow to different organs. NO also exerts a series of other functions, such as acting a signal molecule in the nervous system and as a weapon against infections. NO is present in most living creatures and made by many different types of cells. NO research has led to new treatments for treating heart as well as lung diseases, shock, and impotence. Scientists are currently testing whether NO can be used to stop the growth of cancerous tumors, since the gas can induce programmed cell death, apoptosis. This book is the first comprehensive text on nitric oxide to cover all aspects--basic biology, chemistry, pathobiology, effects on various disease states, and therapeutic implications. - Edited by Nobel Laureate Louis J. Ignarro, editor of the Academic Press journal, Nitric Oxide - Authored by world experts on nitric oxide - Includes an overview of basic principles of biology and chemical biology - Covers principles of pathobiology, including the nervous system, cardiovascular function, pulmonary function, and immune defense

WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality
WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality

Author:

Publisher: World Health Organization

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 488

ISBN-13:

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This book presents WHO guidelines for the protection of public health from risks due to a number of chemicals commonly present in indoor air. The substances considered in this review, i.e. benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, naphthalene, nitrogen dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (especially benzo[a]pyrene), radon, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene, have indoor sources, are known in respect of their hazardousness to health and are often found indoors in concentrations of health concern. The guidelines are targeted at public health professionals involved in preventing health risks of environmental exposures, as well as specialists and authorities involved in the design and use of buildings, indoor materials and products. They provide a scientific basis for legally enforceable standards.

Magnesium in the Central Nervous System
Magnesium in the Central Nervous System

Author: Robert Vink

Publisher: University of Adelaide Press

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 0987073052

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The brain is the most complex organ in our body. Indeed, it is perhaps the most complex structure we have ever encountered in nature. Both structurally and functionally, there are many peculiarities that differentiate the brain from all other organs. The brain is our connection to the world around us and by governing nervous system and higher function, any disturbance induces severe neurological and psychiatric disorders that can have a devastating effect on quality of life. Our understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of the brain has improved dramatically in the last two decades. In particular, the critical role of cations, including magnesium, has become evident, even if incompletely understood at a mechanistic level. The exact role and regulation of magnesium, in particular, remains elusive, largely because intracellular levels are so difficult to routinely quantify. Nonetheless, the importance of magnesium to normal central nervous system activity is self-evident given the complicated homeostatic mechanisms that maintain the concentration of this cation within strict limits essential for normal physiology and metabolism. There is also considerable accumulating evidence to suggest alterations to some brain functions in both normal and pathological conditions may be linked to alterations in local magnesium concentration. This book, containing chapters written by some of the foremost experts in the field of magnesium research, brings together the latest in experimental and clinical magnesium research as it relates to the central nervous system. It offers a complete and updated view of magnesiums involvement in central nervous system function and in so doing, brings together two main pillars of contemporary neuroscience research, namely providing an explanation for the molecular mechanisms involved in brain function, and emphasizing the connections between the molecular changes and behavior. It is the untiring efforts of those magnesium researchers who have dedicated their lives to unraveling the mysteries of magnesiums role in biological systems that has inspired the collation of this volume of work.

Nitric Oxide in Health and Disease
Nitric Oxide in Health and Disease

Author: Jill Lincoln

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1997-08-28

Total Pages: 60

ISBN-13: 9780521559775

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Nitric oxide has a tantalizing role in health and disease: while many of its wide-ranging effects are well known, there remains much more to explore and to learn about the interactions of this fascinating molecule in physiological and pathophysiological processes. The volume reviews the myriad effects of nitric oxide as a chemical messenger in the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, immune system and cardiovascular system. Furthermore, it provides a very practical introduction to the procedures and experimental protocols necessary to work with and study nitric oxide and its synthesizing enzyme, nitric oxide synthase, in the laboratory. In this respect the volume is unique, providing as it does a complete single-volume review of the role of nitric oxide in health and disease, and a very practical introduction to the methods and protocols involved in this intriguing and active area of biomedical research.

Nitric Oxide in Plants: Metabolism and Role in Stress Physiology
Nitric Oxide in Plants: Metabolism and Role in Stress Physiology

Author: M. Nasir Khan

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-05-27

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 3319067109

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This book covers the key features of nitric oxide (NO) in plants. Comprising nine chapters, Part I highlights its metabolism and identification in plants. Part II, which consists of eight chapters, focuses on the chemical, physical and biochemical properties of the NO molecule and its derivatives; on its functional role and mode of action; and on its signaling and interaction with phytohormones, mineral nutrients, biomolecules, ions and ion channels in plants under abiotic stresses. Combining the expertise of leading researchers in the field, the book provides a concise overview of plant NO biology and offers a valuable reference work.

The Endothelium
The Endothelium

Author: Michel Félétou

Publisher: Morgan & Claypool Publishers

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 309

ISBN-13: 1615041230

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The endothelium, a monolayer of endothelial cells, constitutes the inner cellular lining of the blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries) and the lymphatic system, and therefore is in direct contact with the blood/lymph and the circulating cells. The endothelium is a major player in the control of blood fluidity, platelet aggregation and vascular tone, a major actor in the regulation of immunology, inflammation and angiogenesis, and an important metabolizing and an endocrine organ. Endothelial cells controls vascular tone, and thereby blood flow, by synthesizing and releasing relaxing and contracting factors such as nitric oxide, metabolites of arachidonic acid via the cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenases and cytochrome P450 pathways, various peptides (endothelin, urotensin, CNP, adrenomedullin, etc.), adenosine, purines, reactive oxygen species and so on. Additionally, endothelial ectoenzymes are required steps in the generation of vasoactive hormones such as angiotensin II. An endothelial dysfunction linked to an imbalance in the synthesis and/or the release of these various endothelial factors may explain the initiation of cardiovascular pathologies (from hypertension to atherosclerosis) or their development and perpetuation. Table of Contents: Introduction / Multiple Functions of the Endothelial Cells / Calcium Signaling in Vascular Cells and Cell-to-Cell Communications / Endothelium-Dependent Regulation of Vascular Tone / Conclusion / References