Apoptosis y óxido nítrico, dos de los tópicos más estudiados en investigación biomédica

WALTER MANUCHA

Revista Médica Universitaria

Secretaría de Postgrado FCM.UN de Cuyo (on line)

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2008 vol. 4 p. 1 - 12

1669-8991

Abstract Regulation of cell number is a crucial property of multicellular organisms. Every moment billions of cells die to secure the functionality of the whole organism. Apoptosis is essential to normal development as well as physiological cell turnover. The excess and/or defect can manifest across different pathologies types. Nitric oxide is a factor involved in apoptosis modulation but that has produced controversies. Principal mechanisms would cytoprotective stress protein, cGMP-dependent protein kinase, caspase activity and cytochrome c release. The accumulated data indicate that physiologically relevant levels of nitric oxide contribute to apoptosis balance. Decision for a cell to undergo apoptosis is the result of a shift in the balance between the antiapoptotic and proapoptotic forces within a cell.