Abstract
The nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway plays important roles in the regulation of most organ systems. NO participates in physiologic regulation and pathophysiologic organ dysfunction. The latter is often mediated by induction of the high-output NO synthase isoform, NOS2, induced by cytokines. Myocarditis represents a prototypic clinical scenario for the induction of NOS2 within the heart. In this chapter, we review the physiologic roles for NOS 1 and NOS3 in cardiac function and the various consequences of NOS2 induction, which influences organ function, antiviral immunity, and apoptosis.