Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology

This volume contains scientific papers delivered at the Second Annual Symposium titled "The Role of Nitric Oxide in Physiology and Pathophysiology". The symposium was held in Philadelphia at the Jefferson Cancer Institute on October 25, 1993.There were eight speakers selected to participate in the symposium. Nitric Oxide (NO), an endogenous free radical, has been shown recently to mediate several important biological effects. It plays a neuro-transmitter like role in vascular endothelium, a second-messenger role in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) responsive neurons in the central nervous system (CNS), a neurotoxic role after its release from these neurons, and cytotoxic role after its release by macrophages.In this volume we review among other topics the basic chemistry and physical properties of NO and its various redox forms, and their biochemical mechanism of action, NO synthase isozymes and NO synthase structures, mechanism of NO synthesis, regulation of NOS expression and post-translational modification, NO scavengers and prevention of septic shock, and mechanisms of CNS damage involving NO in virus infections.