Publisher Summary Nitric oxide (. NO) is an important and largely unrecognized mediator of
oxygen radical injury because it contains an unpaired electron that readily combines with
many free radicals. Endothelium and neurons produce nitric oxide as an intercellular
messenger, which has important roles in vasoregulation and synaptic plasticity. Nitric oxide
reacts rapidly with superoxide to form the strong oxidant, peroxynitrite anion (ONOO-).
Activated macrophages and neutrophils can produce nitric oxide and superoxide at similar …