Effect of chronic sodium nitrite therapy on monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension

► Pulmonary hypertension is a fatal disease. ► Treatment involves a diverse group of drugs and lung transplantation. ► Nitrite anion may be useful in the treatment. ► Nitrite is reduced to vasoactive nitric oxide; activates soluble guanylyl cyclase. ► Nitrite conversion is estimated to be 0.1% in the intact chest rat.