pubmed:abstractText |
Nitric oxide (NO) and prostanoids are mediators of vascular and bronchial tone that are postulated to be involved in asthma. Increased levels of both are found in asthmatic subjects and are synthesised by enzymes that have cytokine inducible forms: inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), respectively. We hypothesised that the in vivo expression of iNOS and COX-2 in the airways would be increased in asthma, and that these cytokine inducible enzymes may represent targets for regulation by corticosteroid treatment.
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