[Nitric oxide and homeostasis of the smooth vascular muscle]

Nitric oxide is synthesised from an amino acid, L-arginine, by a family of enzymes called nitric oxide (NO) synthase, by most cells in the vessel wall. In healthy vessels, the production of NO is due to the constitutive and calcium dependent NO synthase present in the endothelial cells. On the other hand, when the vascular system is diseased and defense mechanisms are activated, the mediators of inflammatory and immunitary reactions induce an NO synthase non-responsive to calcium which produces large quantities of NO in most of the cells of the vessel wall. Nitric oxide is a liposoluble radical with a short half-life. It plays a central role in the regulation of the motricity and proliferation of blood vessels and in the interaction of the blood cells with the vessel wall. An inadequate production of nitric oxide could play a role in many vascular diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, restenosis or vascular hyporeactivity associated with septicaemic shock.