Nitric oxide and vascular responses in Type I diabetes

Vascular complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality in patie nts with diabetes mellitus. The mechanisms underlying the development of mi crovascular and macrovascular angiopathy in Type I (insulin-dependent) diab etes mellitus are complex and incompletely understood. The discovery of end othelium-derived nitric oxide has greatly improved our understanding of vas cular biology. Nitric oxide has an important role in the regulation of vasc ular tone and impaired nitric oxide activity could be implicated in the dev elopment of diabetic vasculopathy. Vascular studies of endothelial function in Type I diabetes have produced conflicting results. The role of nitric o xide in diabetic vasculopathy is still not clear.