[Toxicologic and nutritional aspects of nitrates and nitrites]

The toxic action of nitrates and nitrites has often been summarized by methemoglobinemia and nitrosation of amines inducing carcinogenic effects; these two impacts are spectacular, but they hide varying more or less insidious actions recently studied and perceived. In the NO3/NO2 couple, it is accepted that especially nitrite ion lays down a toxicological problem, probably because of its particular chemical reactivity: nitrite ion, which is the base of nitrous acid HNO2 (pKa = 3.36) can react with many functional groups from dietary or endogenous origin; it is also a reducing agent, only oxidable by chemical oxidants or adequate enzyme systems; at the same time it is an oxidant for many reduced substrates. These different possibilities explain the chemical complexity of these compounds and almost their reactivity in biological various media with toxicological implications (modification of the redox state). In man, the presence of nitrates in the digestive tract may result in nitrite formation, because nitrate-reductase from bacterial or enterocyte origin; more particularly in stomach, nitrites are characterized by a great instability imputable to the low pH of gastric juice and to secreted factors which accelerate phenomena; at the same time, nitrates and nutrites exercise opposite effects on gastric secretion (volume, acidity, pepsin) and on gastric mucosal irrigation: while nitrates increase these different parameters, nitrites reduce secretory activity but correlations between secretion and irrigation show that nitrates induce a deep modification of hydric compartment whereas nitrites rather react through cellular anoxy. In intestine, nitrates and chiefly nitrites are very quickly absorbed by a passive mechanism and they are characterized by an extrahepatic cycle; nitrates and nitrites are also eliminated in large quantities by kidneys, and nitrates have a very high diuretic effect: these NO3- ions move Cl- ions, inducing a Na+ waste, a decrease in extracellular space and an alkalosis; this diuretic action of ionic origin is moreover increased by a rise in glomerular blood flow facilitating filtration; these compounds therefore present vasomotor effects, probably by an action on catecholamines whose metabolism is modified. Last, nitrates are suspected to be responsible for reproduction troubles, thyroid dysfunction, perturbances of vitamins availability and nutritional effects. Most of the impacts of nitrates and nitrites are now well known, but their cellular of molecular action is not clear, and as a result there is a suspicion in regard to these products very widely present in food.