Cystic Fibrosis Treatments on the Horizon
In people with CF, nitric oxide levels are lower
In patients with cystic fibrosis, exhaled nitric oxide levels are low. As nitric oxide regulates bronchovascular tone, the lowered levels in CF patients may contribute to associated obstructive lung diseases. It is not wholly known why exhaled NO levels are lowered in those with CF, but it has been speculated that the increased mucosa coupled with high levels of bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, decreases the body’s ability to utilize the amino acids to form nitric oxide.
