Reactive Oxygen Species Are Involved in Smoking-Induced Dysfunction of Nitric Oxide Biosynthesis and Upregulation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase

The present study indicates that in vitro, HCAECs show similar changes in NO biosynthesis as human umbilical vein endothelial cells when exposed to smokers' serum and also confirms that oxidative stress plays a central role in smoking-mediated dysfunction of NO biosynthesis in endothelial cells. Furthermore, these data support other studies suggesting a role for hydrogen peroxide in the upregulation of eNOS.