Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
• NO can be treated as a pro- or anti-inl ammatory mediator under dif erent
physiological conditions.
• h e application of Arg in critically ill patients should be carefully
evaluated.
Abbreviations
Arg
arginine
EC
endothelial cell
E-selectin
endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule
HUVECs
human umbilical vein endothelial cells
ICAM
intracellular adhesion molecule
L-NAME
NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester
L-NMMA
NG-monomethyl-L-arginine
NF-κB
nuclear factor-κB
NO
nitric oxide
NOS
nitric oxide synthase
PMN
polymorphonuclear neutrophil
VCAM
vascular cell adhesion molecule
Key Facts about Arginine
1. Arg is a semi-essential amino acid for humans, but it is now considered an
essential amino acid for patients with catabolic conditions.
2. Plasma Arg concentration for healthy adults is approximately 100 μM.
3. Many studies have demonstrated the benei ts of Arg supplementation on
immune functions.
4. Arg is the precursor of NO.
5. h e inl uences of Arg on inl ammatory mediators including adhesion
molecules may mainly depend on regulation of NO.
6. Adverse ef ects of Arg have been reported in some inl ammatory
situations.
7. h e ei cacy of Arg supplementation on critically ill patients remains
controversial.
Definition of Terms
Leukocyte-endothelial interactions:
Leukocyte adherence to vascular endothelium. An initial
step of inl ammation results from endothelial dysfunction.
