Sera from patients with sepsis induce nitric oxide production in vascular smooth muscle cells

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is an important physiological media to r of vascular tone and is involved in pathophysiology of septic shock. Although plasma nitrite is a s table end product of NO oxidation derived from endogenous NO, the plasma nitrite level is also easily affected by the in take of various foods, bacterial products and renal functional status. Aims: We propose an excellent alternative as say technique for measuring endogenous NO production. Methods : We measured the nitrite level in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) treated with se rum obtained from patients with sepsis (4 patients ), by means of a chemiluminescence detector. Results: The nitrite concentrations in such cells were significantly higher as compared to those in the cells treated with normal se rum. Moreover, the increased nitrite levels in the SMC treated with the sera obtained from patients with sepsis were completely inhibited by L-nitroarginine (1 mmol /L), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor. Conclusion: These data suggest that this as say method enable us to know the ability of endogenous NO production in each patient.