[newsandstuff1991 (OP)]

A few weeks ago I heard that a material has been created that can release Nitrogen into the blood stream. How does it do that?

[damocles]

Leaving aside the obvious question of 'why would you want to release nitrogen into the bloodstream?', the next question that arises is 'in what form?'. That is, are we talking about releasing N₂, as gas or aqueous solution? Or are we simply talking about releasing the element nitrogen -- in cyanide, or urea, or ammonia, or arginine, or MSG etc?

Whatever the answer to that, a trick similar to the one that works for oxygen is the obvious way to go: design a transition metal complex with 4 or 5 of the 4 to 6 possible co-ordinate metal bonds strongly attaching to ions or molecules that would help the system reach the bloodstream when it enters the body, and that binds nitrogen, or the nitrogen-containing species to be delivered, weakly and reversibly with a 5th or 6th co-ordinate metal bond.

For example    MR₅ + N₂ [revarrow] MR₅-N₂

[Geezer]

Oh no! Not the NOX SOX again []

[CliffordK]

What is the point?

N₂ is non-nutritive, I believe, and passively diffuses into the bloodstream in the lungs.  Too much nitrogen becomes an issue with deep sea diving.

NH₃/NH₄⁺ is the basic form of reduced nitrogen used by many living organisms.  Humans can generally derive adequate amounts of reduced nitrogen in the form of dietary protein.  Excess is excreted in the form of urea as a component of urine.

[chris]

I wonder whether you are thinking of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN). This is used by angina sufferers to relieve exertional chest pain. Taken as a spray under the tongue, it works by releasing nitric oxide (NO) when it decomposes spontaneously in the blood stream. Nitric oxide (NO) is a vasodilator and causes blood vessels to open up. To a small extent this affects arteries, increasing blood flow, but most of the angina-relieving effect is achieved through the dilatation of veins. This increases their capacitance function, reducing the flow of blood returning to the heart and therefore in turn reducing cardiac workload and oxygen demand. This makes the angina pain subside.

[evan_au]

Expanding on the answer from CliffordK... "The bends" is a painful and sometimes deadly disease which occurs when nitrogen gas is released into the bloodstream, joints or other bodily fluids.

• It occurs when divers use compressed air, and the nitrogen gas dissolves in the body fluids.
• If the diver comes up too quickly, the nitrogen comes out of solution, forming bubbles - like opening a bottle of carbonated drink.
• It can be treated in a decompression chamber, by re-applying pressure to dissolve the nitrogen, and then releasing the pressure slowly.
• It can be avoided by breathing a gas mixture which doesn't contain nitrogen, but it's more expensive (and your voice sounds funny...)
  

Your heart can't pump nitrogen froth around your body, and it doesn't flow well through your lungs, brain or muscles. Overall, nitrogen gas in the blood is something best avoided...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decompression_sickness