Nitric Oxide. A small diatomic molecule consisting of one part nitrogen, one part oxygen. It’s a well known vasodilator and cellular signaling molecule within the body. It is a derivative of common drugs such as nitroglycerin and other blood pressure medication. The compound itself is a gas that quickly dissipates in the body, but while present, is crucial to such processes such as neurotransmission, vasodilation, reducing inflammation, etc.
When the public hears of nitric oxide, they typically think of it in one of two ways: as a supplement used to boost performance in athletes and body builders, and as part of the medication so many men take for their bedroom troubles. Erectile dysfunction is a “disease” that affects roughly 18 million men in the U.S. and is characterized by impotence and the inability to routinely to get erections “when the moment strikes”. The market for virility drugs that treat ED has taken off since the 1970’s and is a $5 billion dollar industry. One can imagine the amount of “little blue pills” that hit the market each year and are taken by men who have a little trouble “getting it up” on occasion. The drug industry has capitalized on the insecurities of men everywhere and hawked their erection medication as crucial for those who even on occasion, can’t sustain or have an erection. There are so many other factors that go into that topic, but that is an article for another day.
The mechanism of action for ED medication involves the increase of NO in the body of the penis, leading it to the increase of cGMP by bind to guanlyate cyclase. This leads to vasodilation/muscle relaxtion, increasing blood flow and leading to erections. Pretty simple right? NO is a crucial part of this drug and works well in leading to “more fulfilling” sex lives for many men, but it is much more important than the body builders and once a month bedroom champions it is known for.
In the brain, NO is a neuromodulator/translator that plays a significant role in chemical signalling and neuronal inflammation. When acting at normal levels, NO provides good things to the body such as vasodilation, modulation of hair growth, and is part of the human immune response when generated by cells within our body. The problems for NO arise when over/under regulation of NO production in the body contributes in negative ways. The increased production can cause an increase in reactive nitrositive species, which are key intermediates in the body, but also contribute to nitrositive stress and apoptosis. Brain inflammation is also a factor of increased NO in the Central Nervous System and plays a big role in brain diseases such multiple sclerosis. The increased NO levels also lead to increased risk for early neuron death.
The purpose of this blog was to enlighten the public on how nitric oxide is much more complex than purely a derivative of erection medication or a muscle supplement. Thank you for reading
Larger than Erections: The effects of NO in neuroinflammatory diseases
