Nitric oxide, nitrosonium, S-nitrosothiols, and S-nitroso-proteins can be detected in biological samples, using a method which involves injection of samples into a photolysis cell, prior to detection of chemiluminescence generated by the reaction between nitric oxide and ozone. To detect S-nitrosothiols and S-nitroso-proteins separate aliquots of the same samples are subjected to pretreatment with mercurous ion, and a protein-precipitating agent, respectively, and the resulting nitric oxide signals are compared to those generated by untreated samples. This method is useful for monitoring the levels of nitric oxide bioactivity in both normal physiological states, and diesease states, such as septic shock, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, hyperhomocysteinemia, pulmonary hypertension, malignancy, infections and central nervous systems disorders.
A METHOD FOR DETECTING NITRIC OXIDE, NITROSONIUM EQUIVALENTS, S-NITROSOTHIOLS AND S-NITROSO-PROTEINS IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS