Compound

sodium nitrite

Nitrous acid sodium salt. Used in many industrial processes, in meat curing, coloring, and preserving, and as a reagent in analytical chemistry techniques. It is used therapeutically as an antidote in cyanide poisoning. The compound is toxic and mutagenic and will react in vivo with secondary or tertiary amines thereby producing highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Definition from MeSH (D012977), National Library of Medicine, read 2026-09-16. NLM revises MeSH; this copy may not reflect its current record.

CHEBI:78870ChEBI

Open in the graph

Studied for

1 endpoint · 1 finding · 1 paper

Plasma nitrite concentrationraisesGrade D, Preliminary. Non-human or in vitro only.

Every finding, with the quotes

Structure

2D depiction

Formula: NO2.Na
Mass: 68.995 g/mol
Charge: 0
InChIKey: LPXPTNMVRIOKMN-UHFFFAOYSA-M
SMILES: O=N[O-].[Na+]
Look it up: ChEBI By InChIKey

Identity from ChEBI. Not evidence.

What the evidence says

How to read these marks

1 finding · 1 endpoint · 1 paper · by grade

Heavier lines are better evidence, and a line with a gap in the middle is an inference rather than a reported result. Two lines arriving at one endpoint are two findings of it, marked ×2. How a grade is computed.

What moved

1 finding

Increases plasma nitrite concentration
PreliminaryGrade D, Preliminary. Non-human or in vitro only.Finding
“Ten weeks of sodium nitrite (80 or 160 mg/day, capsules, TheraVasc; randomized, placebo control, double blind) increased plasma nitrite acutely (5- to 15-fold, P < 0.001 vs. placebo) and chronically (P < 0.10) and was well tolerated without symptomatic hypotension or clinically relevant elevations in blood methemoglobin.”
Quoted verbatim from Effects of sodium nitrite supplementation on vascular function and related small metabolite signatures in middle-aged and older adults..
Study

RCT
Duration

2 months
Dose

80 or 160 mg/day
Population

middle-aged and older adults
Effects of sodium nitrite supplementation on vascular function and related small metabolite signatures in middle-aged and older adults.2016PMID:26607249Permalink

Papers screened

1 paper

Compound: sodium nitrite
Screened: 1
Admitted: 0
Discarded: 1
Not read: 0

The whole record

Discarded: no extractable result1 paper

PMID:26607249claims extracted but refused by the deterministic validators2026-09-24

Measured, not recorded

Compound: sodium nitrite
Endpoints measured: 10 endpoints
Recorded as a finding: No

Show what was measured

body mass
no effect, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: Stated as unchanged within the same baseline-referenced (within-arm) sentence as the FMD finding; no between-arm contrast given.
Endothelial function, measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, increased 45-60% vs. baseline (P < 0.10) without changes in body mass or blood lipids.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
aortic pulse wave velocity
no effect, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: endpoint_near_miss - CAT:outcome/carotid-femoral-pulse-wave-velocity requires the specific carotid-to-femoral transit-time method; the abstract names only 'aortic' PWV with no stated recording sites or device
Aortic pulse wave velocity was unchanged.
PMID:26607249 · both readings recorded this
blood lipids
no effect, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: No specific lipid analyte named (no matching outcome node) and reported within the same baseline-referenced statement as the FMD finding, not a between-arm contrast.
Endothelial function, measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, increased 45-60% vs. baseline (P < 0.10) without changes in body mass or blood lipids.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
Blood lipids (unspecified panel)
no effect, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: no_outcome_node - no specific lipid parameter (LDL, HDL, triglycerides, total cholesterol) is named, so this cannot be mapped to any single lipid outcome node
Endothelial function, measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, increased 45-60% vs. baseline (P < 0.10) without changes in body mass or blood lipids.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
brachial and carotid artery blood pressure
no effect, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: No specific setting/instrument distinguishing which blood-pressure node applies, and stated as unchanged with no between-arm contrast given.
Measures of carotid artery elasticity (ultrasound and applanation tonometry) improved (decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, P < 0.05) without changes in brachial or carotid artery blood pressure.
PMID:26607249 · both readings recorded this
carotid artery beta-stiffness index
decreases, decreased β-stiffness index, P < 0.05, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: No outcome node for carotid arterial beta-stiffness index, and no between-arm contrast is stated.
Measures of carotid artery elasticity (ultrasound and applanation tonometry) improved (decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, P < 0.05) without changes in brachial or carotid artery blood pressure.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
carotid artery cross-sectional compliance
increases, increased cross-sectional compliance, p = 0
Measures of carotid artery elasticity (ultrasound and applanation tonometry) improved (decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, P < 0.05) without changes in brachial or carotid artery blood pressure.
PMID:26607249 · both readings recorded this
Carotid artery β-stiffness index
decreases, decreased β-stiffness index, p = 0
Measures of carotid artery elasticity (ultrasound and applanation tonometry) improved (decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, P < 0.05) without changes in brachial or carotid artery blood pressure.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
Carotid artery β-stiffness index and cross-sectional compliance, by ultrasound and applanation tonometry
decreases, decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: no_outcome_node - no outcome in the list corresponds to carotid β-stiffness index or cross-sectional compliance
Measures of carotid artery elasticity (ultrasound and applanation tonometry) improved (decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, P < 0.05) without changes in brachial or carotid artery blood pressure.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
endothelial function, brachial artery flow-mediated dilation
increases, 45-60% vs. baseline, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: Reported as percent change vs. baseline (within-arm), not a between-arm contrast against placebo; CAT:outcome/flow-mediated-dilation would need a between-group finding for a claim.
Endothelial function, measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, increased 45-60% vs. baseline (P < 0.10) without changes in body mass or blood lipids.
PMID:26607249 · both readings recorded this

Sources cited

1 paper

Subject: sodium nitrite
Findings: 1
Papers: 1

Effects of sodium nitrite supplementation on vascular function and related small metabolite signatures in middle-aged and older adults.record2016PMID:266072491 finding

Other names

1 name

Resolves to: sodium nitrite

Also called: NaNO2

sodium nitrite

Definition from MeSH (D012977), National Library of Medicine, read 2026-09-16. NLM revises MeSH; this copy may not reflect its current record.

CHEBI:78870ChEBI

Measured, not recorded

Compound

sodium nitrite

Endpoints measured

10 endpoints

Recorded as a finding

Show what was measured

body mass
no effect, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: Stated as unchanged within the same baseline-referenced (within-arm) sentence as the FMD finding; no between-arm contrast given.
Endothelial function, measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, increased 45-60% vs. baseline (P < 0.10) without changes in body mass or blood lipids.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
aortic pulse wave velocity
no effect, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: endpoint_near_miss - CAT:outcome/carotid-femoral-pulse-wave-velocity requires the specific carotid-to-femoral transit-time method; the abstract names only 'aortic' PWV with no stated recording sites or device
Aortic pulse wave velocity was unchanged.
PMID:26607249 · both readings recorded this
blood lipids
no effect, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: No specific lipid analyte named (no matching outcome node) and reported within the same baseline-referenced statement as the FMD finding, not a between-arm contrast.
Endothelial function, measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, increased 45-60% vs. baseline (P < 0.10) without changes in body mass or blood lipids.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
Blood lipids (unspecified panel)
no effect, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: no_outcome_node - no specific lipid parameter (LDL, HDL, triglycerides, total cholesterol) is named, so this cannot be mapped to any single lipid outcome node
Endothelial function, measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, increased 45-60% vs. baseline (P < 0.10) without changes in body mass or blood lipids.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
brachial and carotid artery blood pressure
no effect, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: No specific setting/instrument distinguishing which blood-pressure node applies, and stated as unchanged with no between-arm contrast given.
Measures of carotid artery elasticity (ultrasound and applanation tonometry) improved (decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, P < 0.05) without changes in brachial or carotid artery blood pressure.
PMID:26607249 · both readings recorded this
carotid artery beta-stiffness index
decreases, decreased β-stiffness index, P < 0.05, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: No outcome node for carotid arterial beta-stiffness index, and no between-arm contrast is stated.
Measures of carotid artery elasticity (ultrasound and applanation tonometry) improved (decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, P < 0.05) without changes in brachial or carotid artery blood pressure.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
carotid artery cross-sectional compliance
increases, increased cross-sectional compliance, p = 0
Measures of carotid artery elasticity (ultrasound and applanation tonometry) improved (decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, P < 0.05) without changes in brachial or carotid artery blood pressure.
PMID:26607249 · both readings recorded this
Carotid artery β-stiffness index
decreases, decreased β-stiffness index, p = 0
Measures of carotid artery elasticity (ultrasound and applanation tonometry) improved (decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, P < 0.05) without changes in brachial or carotid artery blood pressure.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
Carotid artery β-stiffness index and cross-sectional compliance, by ultrasound and applanation tonometry
decreases, decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: no_outcome_node - no outcome in the list corresponds to carotid β-stiffness index or cross-sectional compliance
Measures of carotid artery elasticity (ultrasound and applanation tonometry) improved (decreased β-stiffness index, increased cross-sectional compliance, P < 0.05) without changes in brachial or carotid artery blood pressure.
PMID:26607249 · one of two readings recorded this
endothelial function, brachial artery flow-mediated dilation
increases, 45-60% vs. baseline, p = 0
Not recorded as a finding: Reported as percent change vs. baseline (within-arm), not a between-arm contrast against placebo; CAT:outcome/flow-mediated-dilation would need a between-group finding for a claim.
Endothelial function, measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, increased 45-60% vs. baseline (P < 0.10) without changes in body mass or blood lipids.
PMID:26607249 · both readings recorded this