Nitric Oxide Production Contributes to Bacillus anthracis Edema Toxin Associated Arterial Hypotension and Lethality: Ex vivo and in vivo Studies in the Rat

The most important aspect of the present study is the finding that the hypotensive and lethal effects of Bacillus anthracis edema toxin are mediated in part via the production of nitric oxide (NO) and that coadministration of an NO synthase inhibitor with edema toxin challenge has a beneficial survival effect.