Research on Light, Nitric Oxide and the Human Body

Nitric Oxide (NO) Related Research

Light photon energy has scientifically been found to help optimize nitric oxide (NO) production in the human body. For most people this means a significant increase in NO, but the results are not the same for everyone. High levels of oxidative stress, age and disease can greatly impair our body's ability to produce the optimal NO levels necessary for maintaing proper health and wellbeing. This is especially true after the age of 40.

Below is a graph of the difference between using a light therapy bio-stimulation pad with 60 light emitting diodes (LEDs) versus 120 diodes. This difference is being indicated as a direct measurment of the increase in NO metabolites in the blood plasma.

As you can see, doubling the number of light emitting diodes, and thus the surface area of the body receiving the benefits of light photon energy in these wavelengths, caused the increase in NO production to just about triple in the individual being tested! Results will vary for different individuals.

There are many research studies cited below which suggest that balancing and optimizing NO production in the physiology of humans and animals can potentially provide numerous different benefits for maintaining health, wellbeing and longevity.

Graph courtesy Dr. Thomas Burke

Physiological Chemistry of Nitrite and Nitrate: the endogenous production of nitric oxide (NO) by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) has been established as playing an important role in vascular homeostasis, neurotransmission, and immunological  host defense mechanisms (Moncada, Palmer et al. 1991).  A methodology for NO detection is complex and the focus of many debates and discussion concerning the biochemistry of NO.  NO is involved in many physiological processes and also becomes perturbed during disease...

NOTE: this is an article from EiCom, a company selling medical and scientific equipment to detect and measure NO levels in the body. They are establishing the current scientific basis for measuring the levels of NO metabolites for this purpose as shown in the graph above.

The reason this measuring methodolgy is necessary is that NO is very short lived in the body. NO becomes nitrite (NO2) and nitrate (NO3) after about 1 second. The nitrite can last up to 111 seconds, and the nitrate can last up to 5 hours in the body. It has now been established that nitrite and nitrate also play very important roles in the body and can be converted back to NO by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS).

NO Insufficiency and the Manifestation of Disease: ...In this third issue in the series, we will discuss specific diseases and how loss of NO function has been shown to be one of the earliest events in the disease process...

Nitric Oxide's Role in Fighting Infection: New research in the emerging field of nanodermatology is setting the stage for the more efficient use of nitric oxide to treat infections. Nitric oxide (NO) is known for its antimicrobial activity...

NOTE: this research-based article explores the use of nano-technology for attempting to increase the levels of nitric oxide (NO) in infectious cells and tissues.

Does Nitric Oxide Play a Critical Role in Viral Infections?: In vitro, for most (but not all) viruses studied prior, activation of the cell to have enzyme activity (NOS - Nitric Oxide Synthase which produces NO) before infection is associated with inhibition of viral replication...

Nitric oxide inhibits HIV-1 replication in human astrocytoma cells: the results of this research suggest that the use of NO-releasing drugs may represent a potential, novel approach in inhibiting HIV replication in the central nervous system.

Nitric Oxide and Infectious Diseases: The L-arginine NO pathway is a vital antimicrobial defence mechanism... As our understanding increases, modulation of the NO L-arginine pathway in infection may become a valuable therapeutic option.

Arginine Metabolic Enzymes, Nitric Oxide and Infection: Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from arginine by NO synthase (NOS), and the availability of arginine is one of the rate-limiting factors in cellular NO production. Citrulline that is formed as a by-product of the NOS reaction can be recycled to arginine by successive actions of argininosuccinate synthetase (AS) and argininosuccinate lyase (AL), forming the citrulline-NO cycle...

NOTE: this article explores rather complex relationships between NO and various enzymes, proteins and other bio-chemicals relative to their role in the body's immune ability to fight infections. There is mention of problems with too much NO production. This is true of every substance in the body, balance must be maintained.

Diabetes-impaired healing and reduced wound nitric oxide synthesis - a possible pathophysiologic correlation: impaired diabetic wound healing is paralleled by decreased wound NO synthesis, supporting the hypothesis that NO plays a significant role in wound reparative collagen accumulation.

Reversal of diabetic peripheral neuropathy with phototherapy (MIRE™) - decreases falls and the fear of falling and improves activities of daily living in seniors: Reversal of peripheral neuropathy is associated with an immediate reduction in the absolute number of falls, a reduced fear of falling and improved ADL. These results suggest that symptomatic reversal of diabetic neuropathy will have a substantial favourable, long-term socioeconomic impact on patients with DPN and the Medicare system, and improve the quality of life for elderly patients with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy.

NOTE: MIRE™ is an acronym for "Monochromatic Infra Red Emissions."

Hypothalamic nitric oxide synthase in affective disorder - focus on the suprachiasmatic nucleus: shows that compared to controls the number of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) immunoreactive neurons is greatly reduced both in depression and in schizophrenia.

NOTE: this study strongly suggests that anything which can increase NO production in the body could be effective with affective disorders.

Impaired wound healing and angiogenesis in eNOS-deficient mice: in summary, we have demonstrated that eNOS KO mice manifest impaired wound healing and angiogenesis.

NOTE: this research study clearly establishes that impaired nitric oxide (NO) production in the body of mice in turn impairs the healing of wounds... extrapolating these results we can see that increasing the production of nitric oxide should theoretically improve the healing of wounds in nitric oxide impaired mice, which is what the study was seeking to determine.

Interaction of endothelial nitric oxide and angiotensin in the circulation: Discovery of the unexpected intercellular messenger and transmitter nitric oxide (NO) was the highlight of highly competitive investigations to identify the nature of endothelium-derived relaxing factor. This labile, gaseous molecule plays obligatory roles as one of the most promising physiological regulators in cardiovascular function. Its biological effects include vasodilatation, increased regional blood perfusion, lowering of systemic blood pressure, and antithrombosis and anti-atherosclerosis effects...

A newcomer in the treatment of mood disorders - nitric oxide: a team of researchers from the Institut de génomique fonctionnelle (Inserm / CNRS / Universités Montpellier 1 and Montpellier 2) has discovered the key role played by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the activity of the transporter of serotonin, a compound used in mood regulation treatment. This is a particularly valuable demonstration because nitric oxide is also known for its role in anxiety.

Nitric Oxide and Angiogenesis (growth of new capillaries and blood vessels): endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is a mediator of angiogenesis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulates the release of NO from cultured human umbilical venous endothelial cells...The release of NO by these factors plays a critical role in their angiogenic actions.

Nitric oxide and major depression: nitric oxide has been known to play a significant role in the pathophysiology of various disorders of the body. Despite its very short half-life, nitric oxide is known to modulate various neurotransmitter system(s) in the body and thus is speculated to play an imperative role in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. This "wonder" molecule... modulates norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, the major neurotransmitters involved in the neurobiology of major depression.

Nitric Oxide Insufficiency and Alzheimers’ Disease: the scientific community has known for some time that nitric oxide is involved in virtually every biological process in the body. Nitric oxide (NO) is primarily responsible for maintaining normal blood pressure, fighting off infections and helping our brain cells communicate with one another. For years, scientists have believed that too little NO presents in the form of hypertension or high blood pressure. But we now understand that NO insufficiency may manifest itself in many different ways, even compromising our immune system’s ability to kill invading pathogens.

Research recently revealed an even more shocking discovery about NO insufficiency. A published report from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine shows very clearly that deficient levels of NO is also associated with Alzheimers disease...

Nitric oxide insufficiency, platelet activation, and arterial thrombosis: Nitric oxide (NO) was originally discovered as a vasodilator product of the endothelium. Over the last 15 years, this vascular mediator has been shown to have important antiplatelet actions as well... endothelial NO limits platelet activation, adhesion, and aggregation. Platelets are also an important source of NO, and this platelet-derived NO pool limits recruitment of platelets to the platelet-rich thrombus. A deficiency of bioactive NO is associated with arterial thrombosis in animal models, individuals with endothelial dysfunction...

Nitric oxide regulates angiogenesis through a functional switch: nitric oxide (NO) donors have been shown to stimulate and inhibit the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of endothelial cells in vitro and angiogenesis in vivo...

NOTE: this study in particular demonstrates the complex role that NO plays in the body and how the body uses it to regulate many other critical functions to maintain proper balance.

DISCLAIMER: The Élan Energetics Genesis Generation system is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent disease. If you have a disease or medical condition consult with your physician or health practitioner before using the Élan Energetics Genesis Generation system. Use only as directed by a qualified and licensed health care professional. Uses for medical indications contrary to the FDA's clearance and approval for infrared devices of this type are unauthorized and render the warranty null and void. Individual results may vary widely.