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Arginine therapy: a novel strategy to induce nitric oxide production in sickle cell disease
Author(s) -
Morris Claudia R.,
Kuypers Frans A.,
Larkin Sandra,
Sweeters Nancy,
Simon Julie,
Vichinsky Elliott P.,
Styles Lori A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2000.02403.x
Subject(s) - nitric oxide , arginine , medicine , metabolite , vaso occlusive crisis , disease , limiting , sickle cell anemia , cell , gastroenterology , endocrinology , chemistry , biochemistry , amino acid , mechanical engineering , engineering
To determine the effects of l ‐arginine ( l ‐Arg) supplementation on nitric oxide metabolite (NO x ) production, oral l ‐Arg was given to normal controls, sickle cell disease (SCD) patients at steady state and SCD patients hospitalized with a vaso‐occlusive crisis (VOC). l ‐Arg (0·1 g/kg) increased NO x formation by 18·8 ± 68% in normal controls, whereas steady‐state SCD patients demonstrated a paradoxical decrease in NO x of −16·7 ± 4% ( P = 0·004). In contrast, patients with VOC demonstrated a dramatic increase in NO x production by +77·7 ± 103%, a response that was dose dependent. l ‐Arg appears to be the rate‐limiting step in NO x production during VOC. Oral arginine may therefore benefit SCD patients by inducing an increase in NO production during VOC.