Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas which is generated by heme oxygenase enzymes (HOs). HOs degrade heme releasing equimolar amounts of CO, iron and biliverdin, which is subsequently reduced to bilirubin. CO shares many properties with nitric oxide (NO), an established cellular messenger. Both CO and NO are involved in neural transmission and modulation of blood vessel function, including their relaxation and inhibition of platelet aggregation. CO, like NO, binds to heme proteins, although CO binds only ferrous (FeII) heme, whereas NO binds both ferrous and ferric (FeIII). CO enhances the activity of guanylate cyclase although it is less potent than NO. In contrast, CO inhibits other heme proteins, such as catalase or cytochrome P450. The effects of CO on gene expression can be thus varied, depending on the cellular microenvironment and the metabolic pathway being influenced. In this review the regulation of gene expression by HO/CO in the cardiovascular system is discussed. Recent data, derived also from our studies, indicate that HO/CO are significant modulators of inflammatory reactions, influencing the underlying processes such as cell proliferation and production of cytokines and growth factors.
Ta witryna wykorzystuje pliki cookies do przechowywania informacji na Twoim komputerze. Pliki cookies stosujemy w celu świadczenia usług na najwyższym poziomie, w tym w sposób dostosowany do indywidualnych potrzeb. Korzystanie z witryny bez zmiany ustawień dotyczących cookies oznacza, że będą one zamieszczane w Twoim komputerze. W każdym momencie możesz dokonać zmiany ustawień dotyczących cookies
Informacja
SZANOWNI CZYTELNICY!
UPRZEJMIE INFORMUJEMY, ŻE BIBLIOTEKA FUNKCJONUJE W NASTĘPUJĄCYCH GODZINACH:
Wypożyczalnia i Czytelnia Główna: poniedziałek – piątek od 9.00 do 19.00