A MOLECULAR APPROACH TO PROMOTE WOUND HEALING IN THE SULFUR MUSTARD–EXPOSED HUMAN KERATINOCYTE MODEL

Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) produced by three major NO synthases (NOSs) is a pleiotrophic signaling molecule in various tissue under normal and pathological conditions. In the skin, increased NO synthesized by inducible NOS (iNOS/NOS2), a NOS isozyme, has been considered to have pivotal roles in the inflammatory response to heat, infection and wound healing. It has also been shown that iNOS regulates the expression of several biomarkers, including Regulated upon Activation Normal T-cell Expressed and Secreted (RANTES) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), to exert its effect in accelerating normal skin wound healing. However, there is conflicting evidence as to the roles of iNOS in the wound healing