Abstract

Nitrosative stress and nitration of proteins in airway epithelium maybe responsible for steroid resistance in asthma and steroid ineffectiveness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), supporting the potential role of future therapeutic strategies aimed at regulating NO synthesis in asthma and COPD (for example, combination treatment with NOS inhibitors and corticosteroids). Here, the potential role of NO modulators (NO synthase inhibitors and NO donors) has been reviewed, which if are given on a regular basis may have clinical benefit in asthma and COPD.

Keywords: nitric oxide synthase, nitrotyrosine, exhaled breath condensate, exhaled nitric oxide, s-nitrosylation, l-arginine