Electrochemical detection of nitric oxide in biological systems

Nitric oxide is a key regulator of diverse physiological processes that include vasoregulation, platelet and neutrophil adherence, and immune defense. The detection and quantification of nitric oxide has been accomplishd by a variety of methodologies. In this paper we desribe methodologies to detect nitric oxide in solution using an electrochemical detector and provide examples of nitric oxide detection in biological systems including data from plasma and cell suspensions. The experiments outlined show that electrochemical detection is suitable for detecting and quantifying nitric oxide within biological samples and buffers. Potential pitfalls and necessary controls are discussed. The use of electrochemical detection was also found to be useful in determining the flux of nitric oxide produced by donor species in different biological buffers.