ABSTRACT
Research on the L-arginine / nitric oxide (NO·) pathway has dramatically increased our understanding of fundamental physiological processes involved in regulating vascular tone, neurotransmission and immune function (Nathan, 1992; Feldman et al., 1993; Bredt and Snyder, 1994). NO-itself is a very simple molecule, yet understanding its signaling functions and its use by the immune / host defense system as a destructive tool continues to confront us with new challenges. This complexity derives from the exquisite chemical reactivity of NO-with a plethora of biological targets, including molecular oxygen, superoxide, transition metal centers and sulfhydryl groups (Stamler et al., 1994).
