Hepatocytes nitric oxide production

Curran, R. D., Biliiar, T. R., Stuehr, D. J., Ochoa, J. B., Harbrecht, B. G., Flint, S. G., and Simmons, R. L. (1990). Multiple cytokines are required to induce hepatocyte nitric oxide production and inhibit total protein synthesis. Ann. Surg. 212, 462-489. 

Although nitric oxide production has been extensively examined in rodents, the generation of nitric oxide by human tissue has been difficult. Nussler et al. (1992) have shown that human hepatocytes produce nitric oxide in response to IL-1, TNF, IFN, and LPS. Nitric oxide, produced by human monocytes treated with LPS, may play an important role in liver disease associated with alcoholism. Monocytes isolated from alcoholics with liver disease produce approximately the same level of nitric oxide as monocytes from control subjects simulated with LPS... 

In contrast, the late-gestation fetus can accommodate for a slowly developing hypoxia for several hours by a combination of increased oxygen extraction, increased oxygen-carrying capacity, behavioral-state alterations and redistribution of CVO (145). A reduction in metabolic rate under these conditions is likely to be influenced by an increased rate of nitric oxide production. In vitro studies of car-diomyocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells, and hepatocytes have shown that there are reversible reductions in metabolic rate in cells held at a PO2 of 40 mmHg or less for 2h or more (8,123,146). 

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