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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #342352
Title: Assessment of nitric oxide production in mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes syndrome with the use of a stable isotope tracer infusion technique

Author
item EL-HATTAB, AYMAN - Tawam Hospital
item JAHOOR, FAROOK - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Journal of Nutrition
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/17/2017
Publication Date: 5/17/2017
Citation: El-Hattab, A.W., Jahoor, F. 2017. Assessment of nitric oxide production in mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes syndrome with the use of a stable isotope tracer infusion technique. Journal of Nutrition. doi:10.3945/jn.117.248435.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Mitochondrial disorders result from dysfunctional mitochondria that are unable to generate sufficient energy to meet the needs of various organs. Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome is one of the most frequent maternally inherited mitochondrial disorders. There is growing evidence that nitric oxide (NO) deficiency occurs in MELAS syndrome and results in impaired blood perfusion that contributes significantly to several complications in this disease. NO is synthesized from arginine by NO synthase, which catalyzes the conversion of arginine to NO and citrulline. Citrulline can be recycled into arginine, and therefore, both arginine and citrulline support NO synthesis. The use of 15N2-arginine and 13C-,2H4-citrulline stable isotope infusion allows measuring arginine flux; citrulline flux; citrulline-to-arginine flux, which represents the de novo arginine synthesis rate; and arginine-to-citrulline flux, which represents the NO production rate. The objective of this review is to highlight the utility of this method in providing additional evidence for NO deficiency in MELAS syndrome, adding more insight into the potential mechanisms of NO deficiency in this syndrome, and allowing for the assessment of the effects of supplementation with the NO donors, arginine and citrulline, on improving NO production in MELAS syndrome.