Posted by Kalamatianos on January 9, 2004, at 20:55:15
While the white blood cells are defending us [thank God they are], their primary defense pattern is to snuggle up to foreign microbe bodies and puff out a tiny cloud of the poison, Nitric Oxide which they produce.
There is a myth that white blood cells don't defend us against viruses. They do in at two known ways. The virus seems too clever though. They slather themselves with fat and thus look like a red blood cell to the whites. Another thought is that viruses are like little people needing heat and fuel to survive, so their [stealthy] appearance is accidental.
There are dozens of different white blood cells technically, each with slightly different tasks. A recent article reported that the count is up to 24 for different members of just one style of WBC. These are the macrophages; the kama-kazi pilots of WBCs. They literally flash a tiny glimmer of light when they absorb bacteria, killing themselves and the invading voracious bacterium.
Virus defense...
First the macrophage will migrate to hostile site and pick off whatever invaders it can recognize, by puffing out some Nitric Oxide. NO^ only has a 5 mili-second half-life, so its dissipation and absorption reduces danger of general poisoning. It does however poison the microbes nicely; dead. Another kind of WBC gobbles up the beastie and passes out the kidneys.A second way for our body defenses is stranger yet. Somehow the macrophages work in consort with [friendly] bacteria that squeegee the fat off the disguised virus. The macrophages are no longer fooled and they puff away. Dead virus gets gobbled by other WBCs. We get well.
Anti-viral medicines mess with the virus life cycles so, like the friendly bacteria, stealthy viruses are unmasked.
Toooo much Nitric Oxide is toooo much for the body to handle. There are many factors different for each person so the warning can only be very general. Follow instructions when taking Viagra.
I found all my life that jogging is a simple aid to many [conditions]. Hmmmmmmmmmm.....
poster:Kalamatianos
thread:298840
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20031218/msgs/298840.html