Determination of Nitric Oxide Production and de novo Arginine Production with Stable Isotopes

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid involved in many physiological and pathophysiological processes. One of the products of arginine metabolism, nitric oxide (NO), is an important signaling molecule involved in the regulation of blood pressure, post-translational regulation of proteins and in the modulation of the immune response. This application note describes the whole body quantification of these processes through the use of stable isotopes to determine the entry rate of arginine and citrulline and their rates of interconversions.