Il ruolo dell’ossido nitrico nella mucosa nasale

Nitric oxide is a small gaseous molecule produced in many types of mammalian cells, in which it contributes to a variety of physiologic and pathophysiologic processes. The presence in the upper airways of high concentrations of nitric oxide has important effects for the field of otorhinolaryngology. In fact, several pieces of evidences have suggested that in the nasal respiratory mucosa nitric oxide plays significant functions, such as mucociliary clearance, vascular homeostasis, immune defense and cytotoxicity. The immunohistochemical and ultracytochemical studies have provided a number of evidences to know more about the role that nitric oxide plays in the nasal respiratory mucosa, both in healthy subjects and in some pathological conditions. Nevertheless, as several functional roles played by the nitric oxide in the nasal respiratory mucosa remain to be elucidated, further researches are required to understand fully the role of nitric oxide in the upper airways.