Nitroglycerin relieves emotional stress-induced stomach ulcers in rats

It is known that nitroglycerin (GTN) can be converted to form a nitric oxide (NO) molecule which is a highly reactive and unstable free radical species. NO is known to have many beneficial effects such as relaxing blood vessels, promoting digestive activity, and regulating blood pressure. The first experiment established an additional effect of NO, that GTN can help prevent emotionally-induced stomach stress ulcers in rats. In Experiment 2, we sought to estimate the quantity of nitrogen oxides in serum produced by GTN that is administered subcutaneously to rats. The results indicated that rats administered GTN increased significantly the amount of serum NO₂ and NO₃, relative to values for a control group. Since amounts of NO₂ and NO₃ reflect amount of NO, the administration of GTN significantly increased amount of NO. An implication of this research is that chemicals such as GTN may be used in therapy with humans for the prevention of some kinds of ulcers. Furthermore, while NO is commonly recognized as a pollutant, it has a number of beneficial effects on the body, e. g., it may slow the aging process, contribute to therapy for improtency, and facilitate memory processes.