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Review
. 2016 Feb;52(1):14-21.
doi: 10.1016/j.jdsr.2015.08.001. Epub 2015 Sep 11.

Production and physiological role of NO in the oral cavity

Kimiharu Ambe  1 , Hiroki Watanabe  1 , Shinya Takahashi  2 , Toshihiro Nakagawa  1 , Junzo Sasaki  3
Affiliations
Review

Production and physiological role of NO in the oral cavity

Kimiharu Ambe et al. Jpn Dent Sci Rev. 2016 Feb.

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical which is produced from a wide variety of cells and tissues in the human body. NO is involved in the regulation of many physiological processes, such as vascular relaxation, neurotransmission, immune regulation, and cell death. NO is generated by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which has three identified isoforms: neuronal type NOS (nNOS), endothelial type NOS (eNOS), and inducible type NOS (iNOS). Different isoforms are expressed depending on the organs, tissues, and cells, and investigation of the types and functions of enzymes expressed in various tissues is underway. The oral cavity is a space in which marked changes have been detected in NO levels, and each tissue is constantly influenced by NO. NO is a component of saliva and is produced by oral bacteria in the oral cavity and released by NOS expressed in oral mucosa. NOS isoforms expressed under normal conditions differ among the oral organs. In addition, the overexpression of NOS was involved in carcinogenesis and tumor growth progression. This review summarized the expression of NOS and functions of NO in oral cavity organs, and their roles in diseases and the influences of treatments.

Keywords: NOS; Nitric oxide; Nitric oxide synthase; Oral cavity; Physiological role.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Immunostaining of the mouse dental pulp of lower first molar at 10 weeks of age with anti-eNOS antibody. Some fibroblasts (arrow) and the blood vessels (arrowhead) are positive in the dental pulp. Bar, 50 μm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Expression of eNOS mRNA in the mouse lower incisor at 8 weeks of age by in situ hybridization. eNOS signals are detected in ameloblasts (arrow) at the maturation stage (asterisk: enamel). Bar, 50 μm.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Immunostaining of the mouse sublingual gland at 10 weeks of age with anti-nNOS antibody. nNOS-positive reactions appears in the striated ducts (arrowhead), but the acini are negative. Bar, 50 μm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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