Recently, it has emerged that the NO metabolites, nitrite and nitrate can be chemically reduced in vivo to biologically active nitric oxide (NO). This generation of NO is dependent on reduction of nitrate to nitrite by facultative anaerobes on the dorsal surface of the tongue, entry of the nitrite into the enterosalivary circuit, transit to the stomach, and absorption through the gut wall into the circulation. Conversion of nitrite to NO is then facilitated by vascular nitrite reductase enzymes. This nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway has been shown to exert a number of beneficial effects in healthy volunteers e.g. lowering of blood pressure, however whether this pathway is affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD) is currently unknown. Ozone chemiluminescence was used to determine and compare nitrite and nitrate levels in 2 models of CVD. To study atherosclerosis wild type (WT) and apolipoprotein E knock out (ApoE KO) mice were used and for hypertension wistar kyoto (WKY) rats as controls vs. spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Assessment of nitrite reductase activity was conducted in the compartment which showed the most consistent differences in distribution, the red blood cell (RBC) and in homogenates of liver tissue. The impact of dietary nitrite and nitrate on distribution of the 2 anions throughout the cardiovascular system was assessed to determine the utility of this approach in restoring levels of these anions in CVD. Finally, using flow cytometry I investigated whether dietary nitrate supplementation could be used to influence inflammatory responses as a mechanism to improve CVD. Compared to WT mice, nitrate levels were reduced in ApoE KO mice in the plasma and across most of the tissues. In contrast in SHRs, reduction of the anions was only apparent in RBCs with no differences compared to WKY in all other tested tissues. Furthermore I have demonstrated that the most efficient way to restore nitrate levels back up to baseline is through a dietary nitrate strategy and that a dose of 15mM nitrate in the drinking water is sufficient to achieve this. In addition I have shown that nitrite reductase activity is enhanced in CVD particularly at the level of the RBC in both atherosclerosis and hypertension and that this enhanced activity is due, in part, to upregulation of xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR). Finally I have shown that dietary nitrate is an effective way to modulate an acute inflammatory response. This modulation is mediated through interfering with the ability of the neutrophil to firmly adhere to the vascular endothelium. These changes were shown to be dose-dependent and concomitant with dose-dependent increases in plasma nitrite and plasma nitrate. These data suggest that utilization of the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway with dietary nitrate may represent an effective approach for the treatment of CVD.

Dagvatten härstammar från nederbörd och ibland en del grundvatten, när regn faller på hårda ytor ökar sannolikheten för ytavrinning med högt flöde och med det vattnet kan föroreningar följa med som hamnar i recipienten eftersom generellt så renas inte dagvatten när det rinner i ledningar, vattendrag eller diken vidare till recipient. När regn faller på ytor med vegetation så blir det lägre flöde, då en del vatten stannar på växter eller blir upptagna av rötter samt infiltreras av jorden. Vattnet filtreras därför naturligt och risken för föroreningar är lägre, men många naturligt förekommande ämnen hamnar ändå i recipienten. När städer expanderar så ökar de hårda ytorna i form av till exempel vägar och byggnader. Uppsala är en av dessa städer som expanderar, därför är det viktigt med bra dagvattenhantering för att försöka minska mängden utsläppta ämnen som försämrar vattenkvaliteten i Fyrisån. Studien genomfördes genom att kartlägga dagvattenutlopp med Fyrisån som recipient, samt provtagningar av vattnet från utloppen och ytvatten från Fyrisån. De parametrar som testats är konduktivitet, turbiditet och nitrathalt. Proven har sedan jämförts med data hämtad från Sveriges lantbruksuniversitets (SLU) teststationer Klastorp och Flottsund. Detta kandidatarbete undersöker dagvatten och dess påverkan på vattenkvalitet i Fyrisån. Den del av Fyrisån som analyserats är 8,5 km lång och sträcker sig från Klastorp i norra Uppsala, till Sävjaån i södra som ligger ungefär 4 km norr om Ekoln där Fyrisån mynnar. Varje dagvattenutlopp fick varsin koordinat med hjälp av en GPS och senare en benämning i undersökningen / Stormwater originates from precipitation and possibly some amounts of groundwater. When rain falls on areas with a hard surface it can contribute to surface runoff and with that the possibility for contaminations to enter the recipient, since most stormwater is directed to the recipient with pipes, trenches and water streams directly that generally have no sort of cleaning treatment. On the other hand, when precipitation falls on areas with vegetation the water is intercepted by the plants and the roots taking up water as well. This gives less runoff and the water that reaches the recipient has been filtered through the soil, but substances can still reach the recipient.  When cities expand and more hard surfaces increase such as roads and buildings, and areas of vegetation generally decrease. Uppsala is one those cities that are under heavy expansion, which makes it very important to have a good management plan of stormwater to try and decrease the amount of substances that makes water quality worse in Fyrisån. Three parameters were used to determine the water quality in this thesis, conductivity, turbidity and nitrate content. Testing was performed on both the water from the outlets, as well as the surface water of Fyrisån. Results from the testing were compared to data collected from Sveriges lantbruksuniversitets (SLU) test sites Klastorp and Flottsund. This bachelor’s thesis examines stormwater and its impact on water quality of Fyrisån in Uppsala, Sweden. The examined area follows Fyrisån, is 8,5 km long and stretches from the northern part of Uppsala, Klastorp to the south where a stream called Sävjaån connects, which is situated about 4km before Fyrisån mouths in the lake Ekoln. The area was mapped using a GPS, giving each location with a stormwater outage a specific coordinate and afterwards a name used in the report.