Analysis between nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) and risk of obesity

Nitric oxide (NO), which is produced by NO synthase (NOS), plays to modulate immune function, blood vessel dilatation, neurotransmission, and mechanism of toxicity. Here, we examined whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the NOS1 gene contribute to the susceptibility for overweight/obesity in Korean population. We recruited 370 subjects (159 control and 211 overweight/obese subjects), genotyped 3 SNPs in NOS1 gene using Affymetrix targeted genotyping chip array, and analyzed genetic data by Haploview4.2 and SPSS 23.0. Among 3 SNPs, 2 SNPs (rs2293048 and rs9658490) showed significant association with overweight/obesity (rs2293048, Fisher's exact p = 0.048 in codominant 2 model, Fisher's exact p = 0.045 in recessive model; rs9658490, p = 0.025, OR= 1.830, 95% CI = 1.078-3.105 in codominant 1, p = 0.037, OR = 1.734, 95% CI = 1.033-2.910 in dominant model, respectively). In addition, haplotype TCG and TGG was also associated with a susceptibility of obesity (TCG, p = 0.019; TGG, p = 0.028). In conclusion, our study suggests that NOS1 gene may be related to overweight/obesity in Korean population.