Nitric oxide (NO) dynamics underpin changes involving RNS. NO is produced from L-arginine by three main isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS): epithelial NOS (eNOS), related to vasodilation and vascular regulation; neuronal NOS (nNOS), linked to various intracellular signaling pathways; and inducible NOS (iNOS), which has been reported to have beneficial microbicidal, antiviral, antiparasitic and antitumoral actions, but has also been implicated in the pathophysiology of colitis
[33][11]. While the production of NO by nNOS and eNOS is regulated by a Ca
2+/calmodulin-dependent mechanism, iNOS is activated in response to triggers such as endotoxins or cytokines, which can lead to rapid production of large amounts of NO. Several diseases have been associated with excessive levels of NO production, resulting in serious deleterious cell-physiological consequences
[34,35,36,37,38][12][13][14][15][16]. All products formed by NO reactions are collectively called RNS. Despite the discovery of NO as an endothelium-derived relaxing factor, it plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of sepsis as an important mediator of endotoxin-induced arteriolar vasodilatation, hypotension, and shock
[39][17]. At high concentrations, NO is importantly involved in inflammatory, infectious, and degenerative diseases
[40][18]. Via reactions with other free radicals produced during oxidative stress, NO can be converted to nitrogen dioxide (NO
2), peroxynitrite (ONOO
−), and dinitrogen trioxide (N
2O
3). NO
2 is formed from NO autoxidation (reaction of NO with oxygen). ONOO
− is a powerful electron oxidant and is formed through the diffusion-controlled reaction between O
2− and NO; its most relevant targets are peroxiredoxins, glutathione peroxidase (GSH), CO
2, and metal centers. N
2O
3 can be formed from a reaction between NO
2 and NO and is considered an important intermediate in the autoxidation of NO. N
2O
3 is rapidly hydrolyzed to NO
2 [41][19]. All these compounds can subsequently react with various classes of biomolecules, including lipids, DNA, thiols, amino acids, and metals, leading to oxidation and nitration. If produced at high levels, RNS will detrimentally impact cell function, leading to changes in membrane integrity, loss of enzyme function, and DNA mutations
[42][20].