Application of a stable-isotope dilution technique to study the pharmacokinetics of human 15N-labelled S-nitrosoalbumin in the rat: possible mechanistic and biological implications.

In the year 1992, S-nitrosoalbumin (SNALB) has been proposed to be the most abundant physiological carrier and pool of nitric oxide (NO) activity in human circulation, by which NO-dependent biological functions are regulated. The concentration, the metabolism and the mechanisms of the biological actions of SNALB are controversial and still incompletely understood. Moreover, the suitability of SNALB as a biomarker of diseases associated with altered NO bioactivity in human circulation has not been demonstrated convincingly so far.