Nitric oxide and the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell

Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which exists in different isoforms in various tissues. The inducible NOS (iNOS) isoform of the enzyme is expressed in vascular smooth muscle in response to lipopolysaccharide and inflammatory mediators. When this expression of iNOS occurs in the lung, the NO produced may play a role in the inflammatory process of acute lung injury. This article reviews the research that characterizes iNOS in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle and discusses current investigation into the role of NO in sepsis and injury.