Analysis of nitric oxide donor effectiveness in resistance vessels

Decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability is associated with a number of pathological conditions. Administration of a supplemental source of NO can counter the pathological effects arising from decreased NO bioavailability. A class of NO-nucleophile adducts that spontaneously release NO (NONOates) has been developed, and its members show promise as therapeutic sources of NO. Because the NONOates release NO spontaneously, a significant portion of the NO may be consumed by the myriad of NO reactive species present in the body. Here we develop a model to analyze the efficacy of NO delivery, by membrane-impermeable NONOates, in the resistance arterioles. Our model identifies three features of blood vessels that will enhance NONOate efficacy: 1) the amount of NO delivered to the abluminal region increases with lumen radius; 2) the presence of a flow-induced red blood cell-free zone will augment NO delivery; and 3) extravasation of the NONOate into the interstitial space will increase abluminal NO delivery. These results suggest that NONOates may be more effective in larger vessels and that NONOate efficacy can be altered by modifying permeability to the interstitial space.