Nitrite is a simple inorganic anion that is the end product of
nitric oxide (NO) oxidation, and previously thought to have only
limited biological activity. In a study appearing online on
April 14 in advance of the print publication of the May issue of
the Journal of Clinical Investigation, David Lefer and
colleagues from Louisiana State University Health Sciences
Center show that nitrite is a potent inhibitor of ischemia-
reperfusion (I/R) injury in the liver and heart. The researchers
showed that nitrite therapy conferred a dose-dependent cell
protective effect in mouse models of I/R injury, limiting cell
death and preserving organ function. These effects are NO-
dependent. The data demonstrate that nitrite could be used
therapeutically for I/R disease, as it is already known that
nitrite is safe, and it is an approved treatment for cyanide
poisoning. Nitrite therapy could potentially be used to prevent
organ dysfunction following I/R injury to the heart or
vasculature resulting from surgery or transplantatio