Nitric Oxide Involvement in Septic Shock: Do Human Beings behave like Rodents?

The tremendous interest in the physiological and pathological effects of nitric oxide (NO) is reflected in the enormous number of publications on this subject. Most of the studies investigating the effects of NO were performed in animal models. A Medline search from 1987 to November 1995, revealed that only 8 to 14% of the publications which include the keyword “nitric oxide” also include the keyword “human” (Fig. 1). However, there are several important differences between animal and human observations. The object of this chapter is to review the current knowledge about the role of NO in the hemodynamic alterations of septic shock, and to highlight the differences between animal and human studies.