Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2004 Jan;113(1):19-21.
doi: 10.1172/JCI20664.

Haldane, hot dogs, halitosis, and hypoxic vasodilation: the emerging biology of the nitrite anion

Mark T Gladwin  1
Affiliations
Review

Haldane, hot dogs, halitosis, and hypoxic vasodilation: the emerging biology of the nitrite anion

Mark T Gladwin. J Clin Invest. 2004 Jan.

Abstract

While it has long been known that the reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide (NO) forms iron-nitrosyl-myoglobin and is the basis of meat curing, a greater biological activity of the nitrite anion has only recently been appreciated. In the stomach, NO is formed from acidic reduction of nitrite and increases mucous barrier thickness and gastric blood flow (see the related study beginning on page 106). Nitrite levels in blood reflect NO production from endothelial NO synthase enzymes, and recent data suggest that nitrite contributes to blood flow regulation by reaction with deoxygenated hemoglobin and tissue heme proteins to form NO.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The broad biological activity of the nitrite anion. Nitrite levels in blood reflect NO production from endothelial NO synthase enzymes. Furthermore, nitrite contributes to blood flow regulation by reaction with deoxygenated hemoglobin and tissue heme proteins to form NO. In the stomach, NO is formed from acidic reduction of nitrite and increases mucous barrier thickness and gastric blood flow. Finally, the reaction of nitrite to form NO and iron-nitrosyl-myoglobin forms the basis of meat curing. sGC, soluble guanylyl cyclase.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

References

    1. Pegg, R.B., and Shahidi, F. 2000. Nitrite Curing of Meat. Food & Nutrition Press. Trumbull, Connecticut, USA. 268 pp.
    1. Duncan C, et al. Protection against oral and gastrointestinal diseases: importance of dietary nitrate intake, oral nitrate reduction and enterosalivary nitrate circulation. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A Physiol. 1997;118:939–948. - PubMed
    1. Björne H, et al. Nitrite in saliva increases gastric mucosal blood flow and mucus thickness. J. Clin. Invest. 2004;113:106–114. doi:10.1172/JCI200419019. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dougall HT, Smith L, Duncan C, Benjamin N. The effect of amoxycillin on salivary nitrite concentrations: an important mechanism of adverse reactions? Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 1995;39:460–462. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tannenbaum SR, Weisman M, Fett D. The effect of nitrate intake on nitrite formation in human saliva. Food Cosmet. Toxicol. 1976;14:549–552. - PubMed