PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY, cilt.15, ss.70-73, 2000 (SCI-Expanded)
Nitric oxide (NO) serves many functions within the kidney, and recent evidence suggests that NO contributes to glomerular injury. Adrenomedullin (AM) is a novel hypotensive peptide originally isolated from human pheochromocytoma. Recent studies showed that plasma AM concentrations correlated with the extent of proteinuria. We have examined the possible role of these two agents by studying plasma and urinary total nitrite (NO-(2) + NO-(3)) and AM levels in children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). In comparison with healthy controls, children with MCNS had increased urinary nitrite excretion (mu mol/mg urinary creatinine), irrespective of whether the disease was in relapse or remission (3.2+/-0.2 in relapse, n=13; 1.9+/-0.3 in remission, n=12; 1.0+/-0.2 in controls, n=10, P<0.05). Plasma nitrite levels (