It is rocket science - why dietary nitrate is hard to ‘beet’! Part I: twists and turns in the realization of the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway

Khatri, J., Mills, C. E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8313-3700, Maskell, P., Odongerel, C. and Webb, A. J. (2017) It is rocket science - why dietary nitrate is hard to ‘beet’! Part I: twists and turns in the realization of the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 83 (1). pp. 129-139. ISSN 0306-5251 doi: 10.1111/bcp.12913

Abstract/Summary

Dietary nitrate (found in green leafy vegetables, such as rocket, and in beetroot) is now recognized to be an important source of nitric oxide (NO), via the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway. Dietary nitrate confers several cardiovascular beneficial effects on blood pressure, platelets, endothelial function, mitochondrial efficiency and exercise. While this pathway may now seem obvious, its realization followed a rather tortuous course over two decades. Early steps included the discovery that nitrite was a source of NO in the ischaemic heart but this appeared to have deleterious effects. In addition, nitrate-derived nitrite provided a gastric source of NO. However, residual nitrite was not thought to be absorbed systemically. Nitrite was also considered to be physiologically inert but potentially carcinogenic, through N-nitrosamine formation. In Part 1 of a two-part Review on the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway we describe key twists and turns in the elucidation of the pathway and the underlying mechanisms. This provides the critical foundation for the more recent developments in the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway which are covered in Part 2.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/79565
Identification Number/DOI	10.1111/bcp.12913
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences > Human Nutrition Research Group
Publisher	Wiley-Blackwell
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