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High nitric oxide production in human paranasal sinuses

Nature Medicine volume 1, pages 370–373 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) is present in air derived from the nasal airways. However, the precise origin and physiological role of airway-derived NO are unknown. We report that NO in humans is produced by epithelial cells in the paranasal sinuses and is present in sinus air in very high concentrations, close to the highest permissible atmospheric pollution levels. In immunohistochemical and mRNA in situ hybridization studies we show that an NO synthase most closely resembling the inducible isoform is constitutively expressed apically in sinus epithelium. In contrast, only weak NO synthase activity was found in the epithelium of the nasal cavity. Our findings, together with the well-known bacteriostatic effects of NO, suggest a role for NO in the maintenance of sterility in the human paranasal sinuses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology & Pharmacology Karolinska Institute, S-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden

    J.O.N. Lundberg, T. Farkas-Szallasi, J. Rinder, J.M. Lundberg & K. Alving

  2. Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, S-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden

    T. Farkas-Szallasi & T. Hökfelt

  3. Department of Anesthesiology & Intensive Care, Karolinska Hospital, S-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    E. Weitzberg

  4. Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Karolinska Hospital, S-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    J. Rinder & A. Änggåard

  5. Pharmacia Diagnostics, S-751 82, Uppsala, Sweden

    J. Lidholm

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  1. J.O.N. Lundberg
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  2. T. Farkas-Szallasi
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  9. K. Alving
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Lundberg, J., Farkas-Szallasi, T., Weitzberg, E. et al. High nitric oxide production in human paranasal sinuses. Nat Med 1, 370–373 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0495-370

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