Nitric oxide in adult lung disease.

Advances in the understanding of nitric oxide as a biological mediator and a therapeutic tool continue to accumulate at a rapid rate. This review provides an update on recent developments pertinent to the role of nitric oxide in adult lung disease. After a brief review of basic nitric oxide biochemistry and physiology, the evidence supporting the role of nitric oxide in the regulation of vascular and airway tone in the normal lung is considered. Clinical studies addressing the pathophysiological role of nitric oxide in pulmonary hypertension, airway disease, and lung injury are reviewed, and the application of inhaled nitric oxide therapy is discussed.